Surprise Homecoming
by supremecommandervader
Summary: Anakin Skywalker, a Captain in the US Air Force just returns home from a six month deployment in Afghanistan and with the help of his family, and his wife's family, he surprises his wife. Only she has a surprise for him too... Anidala, Modern AU!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Who doesn't like watching those YouTube videos where those serving in the Armed Forces come home from war or overseas and surprise their loved ones? It's heartwarming and hits you right in the heart, right? Well, this is a Modern Anidala AU story that is totally inspired from watching those videos.**

 **Surprise Homecoming: Chapter 1**

* * *

"Welcome home, Ani."

Mom wraps her arms tightly around me like she can't believe I'm really here and _finally_ home. I can't believe it either. I've literally been counting down the months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and _seconds_ for when I would return home from my deployment with the Air Force from my second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and I'm _finally_ back.

Thank God. I seriously don't think I could've gone another day without seeing and being home with my beautiful wife, and family.

"Thanks, Mom," I say, holding her in my arms just as tightly as she's holding me. I've missed her. I truly did, but I wish Padmé was here with her to welcome me back home. However, I'm planning on surprising her this afternoon. She isn't expecting me home for a few more weeks. I set up a surprise homecoming with my mom and Padmé's family.

If everything goes according to plan, Padmé won't even be expecting me at the family barbecue tonight at her parents' lake house. It's the Fourth of July, and her parents _always_ throw a family barbecue at the lake house. The house is in San Rafael, not _too_ far from where I'm based at Travis AFB, out in Fairfield. It's about an hour's drive between where we're at now, which is the _San Francisco International Airport,_ and the lake house.

Mom and Cliegg, my stepdad, and my adopted younger sister, Ahsoka, along with my stepbrother, Owen, and his wife, Beru, were invited like they have been for the past five years, since Padmé and I started _seriously_ dating, too. And, for the past three years, we've been happily married. So, my family showing up tonight at the barbecue won't arouse any suspicion.

A part of me doesn't even _want_ to wait any longer to see my wife, though. I just want to go find Padmé and lie around in our bed making love with her _all_ night long. We have a _lot_ of lovemaking to make up for, after all. Six months' worth in fact.

Another part of me, however, is a bit.. _wary_ of our reunion.

Padmé's been acting weird...like _really_ weird the last couple of months, well _few_ months truthfully. She's been busy more and more often, making it nearly _impossible_ for me to reach her, especially given the time difference from Afghanistan to San Francisco, and she's _always_ making excuses now for not being able to _Skype_ with me. We've barely had a lengthy conversation in quite some time, which has me worried, I hate to admit. I _know_ something's going on, and I'm quite afraid to find out what it is.

Me being a pilot in the Air Force is something I know keeps Padmé up at night. Especially when I'm deployed overseas. When we met though, I was a Cadet in the _US Air Force Academy_ on leave for summer break from school when we literally bumped into each other at a local _Starbucks_ in San Fran, so it isn't like she _didn't_ know what she was getting herself into when we fell in love and got married two years later. I'm not going to say we haven't hit bumps in the road over the years, we have, just like all married couples do, but it wasn't anything we couldn't work through. I mean we _did_ work through them, of course, but with me being deployed the last six months to a war zone, and her acting the way she has been...

As much as I hate to admit it, it makes me wonder if she's done with _us_ as a couple. As a _married_ couple. I'm not sure I'll _ever_ be able to continue on if she had an affair or...wants a _divorce_.

Then another part of me wants to slap myself silly for even _entertaining_ such wild and crazy thoughts. Padmé is a lawyer, after all, and she's always been as blunt as they come. She _never_ beats around the bush, which is part of what attracted me to her in the first place. If she has a problem, she'll come right out and say it and won't hold _anything_ back. Blunt and to the point.

I love her for that, and I'm just hoping that that still holds true. Man, I'm a head case today, aren't I?

There's definitely a logical reason for _why_ Padmé has been acting distant. Maybe its stress from work? Maybe worry from me being deployed to a war zone? Maybe _both_?

Dammit, I don't know, but I'm _determined_ to find out, and I _will..._ tonight.

"Everything okay, Ani?" Mom's voice pulls me from my thoughts. I shake my head and give her a quick shrug of my shoulders.

I'm not known for being a liar, and lying to her is pointless. She could _always_ tell. And, I know she's seen Padmé quite a bit over the last six months, if anything was wrong...maybe she'd know. "I don't know, Mom," I admit on a sigh. "I'm just...kinda _nervous_ about tonight."

"Nervous? Why?" Mom's smiling like it's _ridiculous_ for me to be nervous, and she's right- it _is._ I know that.

But, I just can't help it. Something's up with my wife...and I admit I'm a little scared of just _what_ that _'something'_ could be.

Sighing, I run my right hand through my short dark blond hair. "I don't know where we stand anymore, Mom." Its hard just voicing my thoughts, but if they're crazy, I'd rather my mom set me straight now, rather than admitting it to Padmé and risk pissing her off later. "When I was last deployed or had a temporary duty yonder, we always _Skyped_ or talked on the phone via _Facetime,_ whenever we had the chance. But _this_ time...We've barely spoken over the last few months. She's been...I don't know... _distant_ with me, I guess."

Damn, I _hate_ talking about my marital problems with _anyone_. Even if this is _my_ mom we're talking about here. My marital problems- or _potential_ marital problems - are just between Padmé and myself. They don't involve anyone else, and its nobody else's business, really.

But, I _can't_ keep these thoughts and feelings to myself anymore. They've been weighing too heavily on me as it is already. Mom's _always_ been in my corner, like any parent should be, and I know she'll set me straight, because Padmé would _never_ cheat on me. She's not that type of person. I just can't think of any other reason _why_ she'd distance herself from me.

As if the distance between California and Afghanistan wasn't far enough away as it was. So, if it's not cheating, then _what_ is it? I can't even _fathom_ a reason, to be honest. My mind can't help but be snagged on the worst possible scenario, as far fetched and crazy as it is.

"Why do you think she's being distant, Sweetie?" Mom asks me, a confused look on her face, as if I have a damn clue. Hell, _she'd_ probably know better than I would. I mean, last I saw Padmé everything was good between us... _great_ even. Better than great. Fantastic, amazing...almost _magical_ in fact.

I can't help smirking privately at our last night together before I was deployed. And, what a night it _was._ It consisted of us making hot torrid love _all_ throughout the night, from dusk until almost dawn. Our naked sweaty body parts were all tangled together under the sheets...it was hard to tell where she ended and I began. It was like we were _fused_ together.

It was a pretty great night. _Awesome_ even, if I do say so myself.

We'd decided over a year ago to stop using birth control and to start trying to have a baby. We felt we were _more_ than ready for it. After all, she'd gotten her law degree, passed the state Bar exam, and started working at the Fairfield branch of her father's law firm, and when I'm not deployed or on a TDY, with my rank of Captain, I have a pretty normal schedule for a commissioned officer. Which means, when I'm not flying night maneuvers, I'm at home every night with my wife.

If she was pregnant though, why would she hide it? She wouldn't, she'd tell me. Wouldn't she? It'd certainly give me _another_ incentive to get my ass home safe and sound. Though, having her as my wife is _more_ than enough incentive as is.

"I don't know," I say again, glancing at the floor and shrugging. _Is_ she pregnant? Is _she_ trying to surprise _me?_ She knew I'd be home in six months, that was how long this deployment was for. I just happened to tell her they extended it for a few more weeks, so I could surprise her tonight.

That'd be one _hell_ of a surprise though, I gotta admit. Wouldn't it? Coming home to surprise my wife, only for _her_ to surprise _me_ with being pregnant?

I honestly don't think I could come home to a better surprise than _that_. I'd be fucking _ecstatic!_ I've been waiting for the day for the pregnancy test to come back positive, but we haven't been trying for all that long. I'm sure it'll happen soon. I grin wolfishly...maybe tonight even, _if it hasn't already..._

"Then maybe you should stop worrying about it," Mom suggests with a smile, reaching up to pat my cheeks with both hands. _She_ doesn't sound worried, nor look it. I'm sure she'd warn me if Padmé was thinking of divorcing me or was having an affair on me...least I _hope_ she would.

"Right," I nod. "Let's get out of here."

We walk out of the airport together, and she leads me to where she parked her blue _Subaru Outback_. She unlocks the doors with the key fob, and I throw my giant overstuffed backpack in the back seat, then take my seat in the front passenger seat. I'm still dressed in my flight suit with my black military combat boots. I just left a war zone, after all, and I didn't have any time to change into civilian clothing on my connection in Sydney, Australia, before my overnight flight to San Fran.

It's weird being back here in the States and _really_ weird being back here in a normal car. I'm used to the _HMMWV's_ we usually drive in Afghanistan, along with the troop carriers, but personally, I've mostly just flown my _F-22_ and have gotten used to being in the cockpit for the last six months.

Did I mention that I _love_ the hell out of my job?

Being a pilot is what _always_ called out to me. I've known that since I was just a young boy and saw the movie _Top Gun_ for the first time...It's a classic film, and watching those fighter jets pulling those amazing maneuvers _really_ made an impression on me. From that moment on, I just _knew_ that I was destined to be a pilot, and when I got the chance to go for my dream, I snatched it up and never let go.

Now that I'm here and am an experienced fighter pilot, my love for flying has only intensified exponentially. It's a _great_ career, but one that could only work as a military officer. The civilian world can't offer _anything_ like it. At least, not for _me._

I could never be happy being a regular commercial pilot, I don't think, flying the same domestic or international routes all the time.

I still have six more years for my contract to expire, though. Being a pilot and going to the _US Air Force Academy_ forced me to be a pilot for the Air Force for ten years, and I have no regrets.

When that ten years is up, I'm just not sure what I'm going to do then. So far, I've gotten lucky where my base assignments are concerned. But, what if I renew my contract and I get based overseas? What would Padmé do then? Would she stay behind and continue working _here,_ or would she leave with me, so we could stay together?

That's always been one of my concerns. She's a _fiercely_ independent woman, and she always knew what _she_ wanted, too. And, I am extremely proud of her for achieving _her_ goals of becoming an attorney. I mean, I know she wants _me,_ we are married after all, but would she give up the job she loves and worked so hard for to move with me to my next base assignment or stay behind? If she did stay behind, it wouldn't take a genius to realize that we _wouldn't_ be a couple anymore.

But, I'm getting _way_ too far ahead of myself.

I really _am_ being quite the head case today. I'm not usually like this, but I can't stop my mind from thinking of the fucking worst.

She's just never been _this_ distant with me, and dammit, it scares the _hell_ out of me. I glance down at my platinum, wide-band wedding ring as the sunlight reflects off it, and I swallow, _hard._ Only about another hour or so, I remind myself, and then I'll have my answers. After the last few months, I can wait just a little bit longer.

Yeah, then I'll know. One way or another.

* * *

 _It's a gorgeous summer day,_ I think to myself with a smile, as Mom pulls into the paved circular driveway of the lake house. It's a really nice, one story, meandering bungalow built on top of a hill overlooking the lake. It has five bedrooms and two and a half baths on the main level, along with a large eat-in kitchen with a separate dining room, living room, and den/study, the basement has two queen size sleeper sofas in it and an extra bathroom. The basement also houses a small game room of sorts with a _Wii U_ and an _Xbox One_ hooked into a sixty inch flat screen TV mounted on the wall, with a ping-pong table and a pool table, plus a laundry room. There's a two car garage with a basketball net over it, where my father-in-law, Ruwee, brother-in-law, Darred, Owen, and I often team up to play when we all gather here. I glance around and notice Owen's car, and my mother-in-law, Jobal's black _Mercedes_ , as well as a nice, new looking, dark gray _Toyota Highlander_ in the extra parking space on the grass and dirt area beside the garage. _Hmm, I wonder_ _whose that is? And, I don't see Padmé's car anywhere,_ I frown, as Mom pulls up behind Owen's black _Honda Pilot_ and stops, turning the car off.

"Mom, where's Padmé's car? I thought she'd be here already," I ask, as we climb out of the car, and I shut the front passenger door.

"Oh. Didn't she tell you? That's her car there," Mom says, pointing to the new _Toyota_ I noticed.

My jaw drops in shock. " _What?!_ When the hell did she get _that?!"_ I ask, completely stunned...and upset... _hurt_ even, to find out my wife has apparently purchased a _new_ car _without_ even consulting me or letting me know she'd done it.

It isn't like I expect her to run _every_ single thing she does by me, no. I'm not controlling or a man that has to know _every_ single thing his wife does, _but_ I thought that she'd at least let me _know_ that she traded in her car and bought a freaking new one! I mean, this isn't her going out shopping and spending a couple hundred bucks on new clothes here. No, a new car is a _major_ purchase, one that affects _both of us_...it's a big decision and one that _we_ should've made _together._ That's all I'm saying.

Why the hell would she keep something like _that_ from me anyway? Why's _that_ have to be a secret? The paranoid part of me now is wondering what _else_ she's hiding from me.

"Oh. Well, she got that about two months ago, I guess. It's a really _nice_ SUV, Ani. I'm kinda surprised she didn't tell you, but Ruwee went car shopping with her, and he agreed with her when she picked it out. She traded in her old _Honda Civic_ , and she got a good deal on it with a military discount, Ruwee said," Mom explains with a somewhat _strange_ look on her face. What that look means, I'm not sure, but it does nothing to quell the worry that I've got burning deep in my gut.

Dammit, I need answers, and I need them _now._

Opening the rear passenger door, I reach in and grab my backpack, just as the front door opens and Jobal, Ruwee, Cliegg, and Owen head out and over to greet me, huge smiles on their faces. "ANAKIN! Welcome home, Son!" Jobal squeals in excitement as she reaches me and throws her arms around my neck in a huge hug. I hug her back before shaking hands with an equally happy Ruwee, Cliegg, and Owen. Damn, it's good to be home! We stand around chatting for a couple of minutes, Ruwee asking about my flight, and Jobal fussing that I look like I could use a good 'home cooked meal!'

She's definitely right about that. Especially my wife's cooking for sure. I'm _always_ hungry, so it's a really good thing she's a fantastic cook, even if we do use a crockpot a lot during the week with our busy schedules.

Ruwee motions toward the house with a smile, "Come on in, Anakin...I'm sure you'd like to change out of that uniform and into some more comfortable casual clothes."

"Yes, sir! I sure would," comes my instant reply as Cliegg slaps me on the back, and we all head toward the door. I glance at my in-laws as they walk in front of me, and I'm just about to ask where Padmé is when Jobal turns with a smile and speaks over her shoulder to me, like she read my mind or something.

"I know you're anxious to see Padmé, but she's not here at the moment. We figured you wouldn't want to spoil the surprise just yet, so we sent her grocery shopping with Sola and Beru to get the stuff we need for dinner tonight. We timed it to coincide with your arrival here at the house. They should be back in about an hour or so. That gives _you_ plenty of time to take a shower, get changed and see Darred and the girls before she gets back. They're down at the beach, and they can't wait to see you."

I smile, nodding my head. She's right. A shower would be _great_ , as well as changing into some shorts and a polo shirt and some boat shoes. It'll also be nice seeing Darred and the girls, too...'The girls' being our nieces, Ryoo and Pooja, and my younger sister, Ahsoka. We file into the house and Jobal and my mom motion for me to follow them down the hall, as Ruwee, Cliegg, and Owen head to the living room where I hear _ESPN_ on the TV. Following my mother and mother-in-law, they lead me to the fifth bedroom, which is at the end of the hallway, directly beside the bathroom. Opening the door, I follow them inside and move to deposit my backpack on the bed.

Its a nice room, done in soothing beach tones of white, light blue, and a light yellowish-tan, the color of sand. The queen size bed has a white comforter with light blue and sand colored throw pillows, and the window overlooking the lake below has white shades and curtains. The _Berber_ carpet is a very light sand color. The furniture is also white, and there are framed coastal scenes up on the walls. Padmé and I haven't stayed in this room before. Usually Sola and Darred get this room, but glancing around I notice several of Padmé's things lying around, like one of her sweaters draped over a chair by the window. I smile, amused, "Wow. How'd we luck out with this room? Usually, Sola and Darred grab this one."

Jobal and my mom exchange a small smile and a quick look between them, which makes me frown just a bit, but Jobal chuckles and answers me before I can say anything, "Well, we just decided to change things up this year. So, everyone is in different rooms this time. Now, why don't you get settled and grab a shower. I'll head down to the beach and get Darred and the girls, let them know you're here. Ok?"

I nod, smiling, and start unzipping my backpack, "Thanks, Jobal." My mother-in-law smiles sweetly and heads out the door and back down the hall, leaving me alone with my mom.

Mom watches me for a minute then walks over and gives me another hug, "It is _so_ good to have you home, Ani. We've missed you so much, and stop worrying. Everything is going to be _fine._ Just relax." She lets me go and pats my cheek once more before she turns and heads out the door as well. I shake my head and continue unpacking. _Sure, Mom. Relax_. I snort, _Easier said than done._

Gathering up my toiletry bag, plus a pair of khaki shorts with a brown leather belt, a navy polo shirt, a tan pair of _Sperry_ boat shoes and some clean boxers, I head into the bathroom, shut the door, and then start up the shower before stripping out of my boots and uniform. I take care of my business first, then grab a towel and a washcloth and step in the shower. The hot water feels _amazing,_ and I simply stand there for a few minutes, letting the water run down my bare back, relaxing my muscles. Reaching out, I grab the shampoo and wash my hair first, rinsing it and applying conditioner next before grabbing the cucumber scented bodywash and scrubbing myself down. I can't help wishing Padmé were here to share the shower with me, and I feel the instant hardening of my body just thinking about her. Glancing down at my raging boner, I sigh and reach behind me and turn the water to cold and turn around as the icy blast hits me. _Tonight...Wait for tonight. Then you can bang her all night long,_ I think to myself with some disappointment at having to wait. I mean, I haven't been with my wife in six months after all, and I am rather _impatient_ to get her in bed...and keep her there for quite a while, too...a _long_ while.

We have a baby to make after all.

I smirk, cheered up by my eager anticipation for tonight, and I dry off, whistling to myself, as I put on my deodorant before I shave quickly, add a splash of aftershave, brush my teeth and hair, then get dressed quickly in my clean clothes before gathering up my uniform and boots and head back to our room. I deposit my dirty clothes in the hamper in the closet, set my boots on the floor next to the hamper, then I take out a few more pairs of boxers and a couple of plain white V-neck undershirts and one pair of navy sleep shorts from my backpack, grab my toiletry bag and put them all in the top drawer of the dresser. That done, I move my backpack to the closet and lean it against the wall beside my boots. With everything put up for now, I head out of our room and down the hall to the living room, where I find Darred and the girls sitting with Cliegg, Ruwee, and Owen, now watching _The Weather Channel._ I can hear our mothers moving around in the kitchen.

As soon as they notice me, Ryoo and Pooja jump up, squealing, and run to me shouting, "Uncle Ani! Uncle Ani! You're _home_!" before they launch themselves at me.

Laughing, I squat down and give each of them a big hug, delighted to see them. "Hey, you two! It's great to see you both! Look how much you've both grown while I've been away! You're not supposed to do that! You're _supposed_ to stay little and cute as a button when I'm gone!" I tell them, as I laugh and poke them each in the belly, making them blush and giggle. Our nieces, Ryoo and Pooja, really _are_ adorable little brown-haired, brown-eyed imps. Ages seven and four respectively, they have their mother's looks down to a tee but _definitely_ a blend of both of their parents' personalities. They are Naberrie females, no doubts about it, but they have the same rebel streak that Darred and I seem to share, which explains _why_ they are constantly getting into trouble.

Darred walks over, and we hug, slapping each other on the back, all smiles. About two inches shorter than me at six feet, Darred's from Sweden originally with the typical Scandinavian pale blond hair and blue eyes. He's an architect and a super nice guy. We share a love of cars, mechanics, sports, building and tinkering, _plus_ getting into trouble, and he and I have gotten along well from the moment we first met, which is great considering how close our wives are. He really _is_ like my brother, in every sense of the word.

Honestly, I couldn't have married into a better family than this one.

Next, I am enveloped in a warm hug from my adopted younger sister, Ahsoka, or Snips, as I lovingly call her. She's tall and slender with smooth black hair cut in a wedged bob and huge blue eyes. She likes a lot of the same things I do, oddly enough, like cars, planes, and sports. She's _very_ much a tomboy, and her nickname for me is SkyGuy. She's also smart as a whip and has a heart of gold, and she adores Padmé and her family, just as much as I do. "SkyGuy! Welcome home, Brother!" she says, giving me a big squeeze.

I return the hug and drop a kiss on top of her head, "Good to see you, too, Snips. It's good to be home."

As I release her, my mom steps out of the kitchen, "Ani, are you hungry?"

I shake my head, "No, Mom. I'm good. I'm just thirsty at the moment."

"Tea, okay?"

I smile and nod, "Yeah. Tea's great, Mom. Thanks."

"Coming right up," she says with a smile and disappears back into the kitchen, where I promptly hear cabinets opening and closing, then the same with the fridge door and then ice clinking in a glass from the ice dispenser.

Mom brings me my tea...and a couple of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, which I immediately wolf down with a grin. Hey, I _love_ homemade chocolate chip cookies and _never_ turn them down. We all settle back down in the living room, with Darred and the girls all filling me in on things they've done in the last six moths and asking me about places I've been to and things I've done during my time overseas. I have to be careful. I can't reveal any classified information, of course, as well as anything that no little girls would want or _need_ to hear about the horrors I've seen and experienced in my time over there, but general info about the landscape and the people I've met over there is a safe topic. Suddenly, Darred asks me with a sly smile if I'd like to go play the new _Forza Motorsport 7_ game he just bought for the _Xbox_ downstairs. It came out in October of last year, and we'd talked about getting this game back at Thanksgiving, but neither of us had a chance to purchase it before my deployment. So, I'm really excited to try this, and I nod my head eagerly as he and I, plus the girls, all get up and head down to the basement.

Snips grabs the remote and turns on the TV while Darred sets up the game on the _Xbox._ He and I each grab a controller, set up the specs for a multiplayer game, and off we go... _Game on, Bro!_ I think with a devilish grin on my face.

It's been too long since we've been able to hang out like this as a family. Last time we did was at Christmas. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I stepped into my mother's arms and wrapped her up in mine. There's _nothing_ quite like being home, being surrounded by those who love you for _you_ , and have your back no matter what.

That's what family is all about, and blending my family together with Padmé's was just like falling in love with my angel, it was always meant to be. We're two halves of each other's heart and soul. We complete one another, and that's something I never thought I'd really have with a woman.

Before Padmé came into my life, I never gave much thought to having a _real_ relationship. Oh sure, I dated a lot and had girlfriends back in high school, but they weren't anything serious, and I can honestly say that, without a doubt, I never loved any of them, because I didn't know what real love even _was_ until I met my brown-eyed angel.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

We were at _Starbucks,_ each getting coffee. I was standing behind her, waiting for my own coffee order to be ready, mind elsewhere, when she _literally_ knocked me off my feet when she whirled around and slammed right into me, spilling her iced coffee _all_ over me. I went from being pissed as hell that I just had a brand new outfit ruined and was knocked flat on my ass to being totally breathless, my heart hammering wildly in my chest, my jaw slacked and eyes widened in shock at the _beautiful,_ petite, brunette angel of a woman, who looked down in horror at me sprawled on the floor, my clothes soaked in her iced caramel macchiato, and her all wide-eyed and sputtering apologies that she spilled her coffee all over me.

Yep, even as shocked and apologetic as she was, she took my breath away, and I was a goner. Totally, completely, irrevocably _gone_. Forever.

"You ready?" Darred asks, nudging me in the arm with his elbow, jerking me from my thoughts.

I look over at his curious expression and nod. Turning to face the screen again, I take a deep breath and focus on kicking his ass in a game that neither of us have ever played before. Granted, I played the old versions of this game, so I'm sure the buttons are still relatively, if not _exactly,_ the same, but I never lost before, and I'm not about to start now.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" I ask him with a smirk, raising a blond eyebrow his way.

He grins wickedly and nudges me with his elbow again, a little harder this time. "There are little girls in this room, y'know," He says looking back at his two beautiful daughters, before turning to look back at me. "I wouldn't want _you_ to look like a fool in front of them, after I kick _your_ ass up and down this track."

That gets a good laugh out of me. I thought he was scolding me for saying _ass_ in front of his little girls, like I know Sola, Padmé and our moms would do, but I should've known better. This is _Darred_ here, a man who is much like myself, a man that may very well be _able_ to kick my ass in this game, that's not something I'd ever admit out loud though.

Instead, I turn to give him a challenging glare, all humor leaving my face. "Care to put your money where your mouth is, _Speed Racer?_ " I can see the wheels turning in his head, as he considers my challenge with narrowed eyes. We both know what he'll say though.

"You're _on._ " Yep, there it is. Just like me, he _never_ backs down from a challenge, especially not one from me. "How much, _Flyboy?_ "

My feral grin is back. "We can keep our money in our wallets. Instead, why don't we do this...If I win, I get to borrow your _Audi R8_ for a week, and if _you_ win, as unlikely as _that_ is, you can borrow my _Harley_ for a week? Deal?"

His blond eyebrows soar to his hairline. I surprised him. Good. His silver _R8_ is a badass car, a little _too_ expensive for me to purchase right now, though, and I _know_ he's been eyeing my beautiful _Harley_ , a used bike I bought as a teenager with my hard earned money and rebuilt and customized myself.

It's a bike like no other on the road, of that I'm certain. "You've got yourself a deal, bro. Just be prepared to hand over the keys and your helmet to me when you're done crying. I _know_ how much that sweet little ride of yours means to you, and I promise I'll do my best to _not_ get a scratch on it."

He's talking as if he has a chance in hell of ever beating me in _any_ race. Even if it _is_ a video game. He's forgetting something...I own the road, the sky, and even the _water._ Nobody's _ever_ beaten me in a race. Nobody. Ever.

And, that's not about to change now.

I extend my hand out to him to shake, smirks on both our faces. He locks his hand around mine, and we shake. I give him a shit eating grin, "You're on, Janren. But, I'll be taking _your_ keys, Bro, not the other way around."

We laugh and release each other's hands and turn our attention back to the game. We select our cars, with me choosing one based on the best handling and speed and him choosing a car that looks like he customized it himself.

"You cheater," I mock him. He doesn't even bother looking apologetic. He just shrugs at me. _'Tough, dude. Deal with it'_ is basically what he meant with that shrug, and now he has me sweating a little, not that I'll ever admit _that_ either. Here I thought he bought this game just for us to play today, just like old times for when I came back from deployments only to find out that he's been practicing, _cheating_ as he went and obviously built himself a car that he thinks he can beat me with. He wants to challenge me? Fine. Like I said: _Game. Fucking. On._ "No sweat, I'll still kick your ass." Turning around, I wink at my nieces. "You two may want to close your eyes for this. This isn't gonna be pretty like you two are."

They giggle, while Ahsoka just snorts and kicks back on the couch, amused and grinning at our little _race._ I turn my attention back to the game, and just like I do in the cockpit, I let everything else go except for my focus on my target. And, my target here is beating Darred's ass up and down this track like he said he would do to me.

Little does he know how great I am at _anything_ racing, especially in _Forza,_ or maybe he _does_ know since this isn't our first time ever playing this game before, well...maybe not _this_ one, but we've played each other in the older versions before. I have every single _Forza_ game ever made, except for this one, and this one won't be any different. Hey, I am a _Forza_ master here. Don't believe me? Just ask my wife. She can tell you. The number of times she's sat in our living room after dinner watching me play _Forza_ while she worked on her law school assignments...I shake my head. Oh yeah, my bro is going _down._

For the next half hour, the adrenaline is pumping, the groans of loss and shouts of triumph ring out, and, ever aware of the little feminine ears in the room with us, the cursing is kept to a bare minimum. Last thing we want is to piss our wives off. We enjoy sleeping with them, after all...and I know _I_ don't want to end up on the couch tonight. No damn way. I've been waiting six solid months to be with my wife again, and I quite intend for us to...uh, _sleep_ together... _repeatedly_... _tonight_.

Not that my nieces or my sister needs to know that. Darred, of course, surely _knows,_ but he'd totally get where I'm coming from on _that_ score. What man wouldn't?

Finally, it's _Game Over_...And, the winner is...Uh-huh. You guessed it.

 _Me!_

Just like I told you. Was there _any_ doubt I'd win? I mean, come _on._ My job is _all_ about speed. My _F-22_ reaches a top speed of 1,498 miles per hour (that's nearly Mach 2 speeds), after all. That's going pretty damn fast, believe me, it makes the fastest roller coaster on Earth seem like a kiddie ride.

As I let out a whoop of exhilaration, jumping up and dropping my controller on the coffee table and clapping my hands, Darred flops back on the couch, eyes closed and groaning. All three of the girls are laughing and pointing at Darred's pained expression.

"I can't _believe_ you beat me!" he whines, eyes on the ceiling.

"Tough luck, Bro! Hand over them keys!" I chortle, a grin a fucking mile wide on my face. I am _so_ going to enjoy this coming week for sure! I mean, I'm back home, soon to be reunited with my gorgeous wife, and now, I get to drive my brother-in-law's badass _Audi_ for a week! Hell yeah, this is great!

As Darred groans again and the rest of us laugh, Snips' phone dings in her pocket. She pulls it out, opens it, and then grins like a mad woman. Glancing up, she has an almost feral look of _glee_ on her face as she looks right at _me_...Wait, does this mean...?

"They're back from the store and in the kitchen right now, Brother dear," Snips tells me, her eyes twinkling with mischief, her grin wolfish.

My nieces and Darred all start chuckling, race completely forgotten about, but I pay them no mind, turning and dashing for the door leading upstairs, and taking the stairs two at a time. Only one thought is racing through my mind at _this_ moment... _Padmé!_

Reaching the top of the stairs, I pause, taking a few deep breaths. Ok. This is _it_. The moment I've been waiting the last six months for...and it's time. Time to get my answers. _Fuck,_ I'm nervous now. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach. Hearing Darred and the girls climbing up the stairs behind me, I reach out, grab the handle, and quietly push the door open. Peeking out, I stick my head out the door, and I see Ruwee, Owen, and Cliegg all standing in the living room, huge grins on their faces as they glance over at me. "Go on, Skyguy!" Ahsoka whispers loudly behind me.

This part of the house has an open air floor plan, so the living room flows into the dining room and then directly into the large white kitchen beyond. Padmé's back is to me. She's standing on the other side of the bar, and all the grocery bags are lined up on the bar behind her. Her hair is up in a high ponytail. It looks like she cut it a little bit shorter than it was when I left in January. She has on a pink sleeveless, wide-strapped tank top, but I can only see her from the shoulders up, thanks to all the bags piled up behind her. Our mothers, Sola and Beru are all standing around in the kitchen with her, and I see Sola look over toward me and wink, and she looks like she's trying not to laugh. Beru and our mothers are all grinning like crazy as well.

Taking another deep breath, I ease out the basement door and tip-toe over to the bar, and I know the rest of the family is following me. Leaning forward, I brace my hands on the edge of the bar, listening to Padmé's melodic voice as she talks to the other ladies, completely unaware of my presence behind her, "So, when I saw it, I had to grab it. I mean, it was _perfect_ , y'know, and-"

I interrupt her, "Hey, Beautiful. Fancy seeing you here."

She shrieks, _loudly_ , at the sound of my voice, which she knows so well, and she whirls around, shock sweeping across her lovely features, eyes wide, mouth falling open, and her hands flying up to cover her mouth. _"Oh my God, Ani!"_ she squeals in utter delight, and then she's waddling...wait, _waddling?_...around the bar toward me, at the same time I am rushing to meet _her..._ and as soon as she clears the bar...

 _Holy Shit!_

My own damn jaw drops, nearly matching her own expression, and I get the shock of a lifetime. If I just performed a barrel roll at Mach 5 and crashed into the ocean to my fiery death, I still don't think I'd be as shocked as I am in _this_ moment.

 _Fuck!_

My wife is pregnant! She's fucking _pregnant!_ I know I'm standing here looking like a fucking idiot, but I can't help it. I mean, I had _hoped_ for this, y'know, but to come home and find out like _this_...Damn, my stomach just dropped to my toes! I raise my hands to my face, and I'm stunned to feel _tears_ falling! I notice _she_ is crying, too, and as we reach each other, I engulf her in my arms as tight as I dare and bury my face in her hair which I love the scent and feel of, openly crying now, as I feel her own arms wrap tightly around my neck, her nose now buried in the crook of my neck and shoulder. Only vaguely do I hear the voices of our family as they all shout, "Surprise!" I hear them all clapping and laughing, and I ease back a little and reach up with my left hand to gently grab the back of her neck and angle her face up to mine, and then I seal our lips together, kissing her like I've longed to for six long months now.

I've been looking forward to _this_ moment from the second I left her and boarded my flight with the rest of my squadron back in January, and to be here, with her in my arms now, it's a dream come true. And more than that, _I'm_ going to be a father! _She's_ going to be a mother! And a damn good one, of _that_ I have no doubt.

We're going to be _parents!_ And, I can't fucking _wait_ to welcome our little angel or little dude into the world.

Now I know why she hasn't _Skyped_ with me! She didn't want to ruin her surprise, and what a surprise it _is_. Relief sweeps through me, as all of my anxiety and concern regarding her reasons for being so distant leave me like a receding tidal wave. Only to immediately have a whole _new_ tidal wave hit me, and that is the tidal wave of our impending parenthood.

And that is one tidal wave I am _seriously_ looking forward to.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! This story is definitely a story full of fluff, as well as obviously a romance and family story.

When my Beta and I were working on this, we wanted to include the family members that really aren't seen in Star Wars. Padmé's family is rarely mentioned and we only see them when she and Anakin go in hiding in AOTC (a couple of deleted scenes) and at the end of ROTS at Padmé's funeral. We also never even see Darred or get a real description of him, we just know he's an architect. I think he and Anakin would get along great, and in this story, they obviously do. We also chose to have him based at Travis AFB, they may not have any fighter wings there but this is a fanfic and we decided that that base was perfect for this story.

I hope you stick around to read more! Please follow, favorite and review! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Surp** **rise Homecoming: Chapter 2**

* * *

"Wow, talk about a _surprise._ "

Everyone laughs at my stunned words, Padmé and myself included, as I peer down into her beautiful dark brown eyes. She may be waddling and as big as a house...though, you'll never hear those words come from _me_ , but she's as beautiful as I remember. She was always beautiful, but in a way, she appears to be _more_ beautiful now than she ever was before. Her skin is literally glowing. She's absolutely radiant, and I don't think I've _ever_ seen her this happy before. Maybe not even on our wedding day, which is saying a lot. Her smile is so big and wide, just as resplendent as her really, that's what having your soulmate back in your life and having a baby with the person you love most will do to you, I guess-

No, I _know,_ as our last night together comes back to me in a flash as I look down at her, there's _no_ doubt in my mind that _that_ was the night she conceived. We had sex so many times that night that it was statistically impossible for her _not_ to have gotten pregnant, of that I'm sure, and her being as large as she is, is clearly evidence of _that._ Man, she really _is_ huge, now that I'm _really_ looking at her. Sola is taller and bigger framed than Padmé is, and I remember seeing Sola throughout her pregnancy with Pooja, her youngest daughter, and she wasn't _this_ big. So, that means either she was pregnant before that last night and she's further than six months along or...no, it's best just to _ask_ rather than to _assume._

I've already done more than enough of _that_ today, most of those assumptions being totally incorrect. Thank God for that. Nope, the best and the _only_ way to get my answers is to ask her, so that's what I do. "How far along are you?" I ask her softly, cupping her beautiful face in my large hands as I look down into her eyes, needing to know some answers finally.

She leans into my touch, and looks up at me with a look that literally takes my breath away. "Six months," she confirms.

I'm the first to say I'm no expert when it comes to pregnancy or anything like that. However, she's _way_ too big, in my estimation for a normal pregnancy. "And...I don't mean to sound rude, or anything, here, Babe... _trust_ me, that's the _last_ thing I want-" she cuts off my words, cupping my own face and bringing my face down to meet hers. She silences me with her lips and tongue, and I'm glad for it, because I really wasn't thinking through what I was going to say, especially not when I just said I _wasn't_ going to comment on how big she is.

But she's _big,_ and if she's _only_ six months along, _then_..."Ani, we're having twins," she whispers against my lips, her voice so soft and quiet, in fact, that I'm not sure I heard her right.

"Twins?!" I echo, needing confirmation of the word I _thought_ I heard her utter. The word that could literally change everything- and I mean _everything_.

She nods, her eyes shining with tears, then brings my lips back down to hers, and I melt into her touch with a low growl, loving the feel of her lips on mine after so long apart. "How are you feeling, Ani? You ok?" she asks, her arms wrapped around my neck keeping me down to her level.

How about _shocked_? That word is the first to come to mind. _Speechless_ is another. When I thought of her being pregnant and us becoming parents, I always thought it would be just welcoming _one_ little Skywalker into the world, not _two_. We may both want children- plural, but...at the _same_ time? That's twice the work...twice everything really, including the mistakes. When presented with an obstacle or a challenge, however, I never backed down before, and I'm not about to start now. It's just a _lot_ to take in all at once, that's all. Here I thought _I'd_ be surprising _her,_ and sure, the thought of her surprising _me_ with being pregnant did make me pretty ecstatic just thinking about it, but that doesn't mean I can't be surprised. Because I _am_. It may be a daunting task to have to deal with twins at our first go round with children, but I'm not alone here.

I have Padmé, my sweet and beautiful Angel, and together, we can manage twins. Even if they are _Skywalker_ twins. Together, we can accomplish anything, including parenting, and there's no way in hell I'm going to let her down or fail her. Doing so is just not acceptable.

Neither is allowing her to worry about _me_ when the only one she _should_ be worrying about is herself and the lives she's carrying inside her, but that's my Angel, always worrying about everyone else.

"How am _I_ feeling?!" My voice is incredulous, as my eyes take in her perfect- but definitely fertile - feminine form and the large babies' bump that holds our future. "Padmé, I'm not the one carrying _two_ tiny Skywalker children inside me, _you_ are." I remind her, keeping one hand on her cheek and lowering my other hand to rub her belly. "So, how are _you_ feeling?"

I'm vaguely aware of everyone leaving the kitchen, giving us some time and space to ourselves. We need this time, but even if they were still here and watching, it wouldn't matter to me. Right now, its only Padmé, myself and our two little ones. My family. "Oh, _Ani_." A tear falls from her eye. I wipe it away with the pad of my thumb and brush my lips back over hers. "I missed you, Honey. _So much!_ "

She doesn't even _know_ how much I missed her. Though, I made sure to let her know how much whenever I sent her a letter. That was always our thing whenever I was in school or deployed, sending letters back and forth, since we met when I was still a Cadet back at the _Air Force Academy_ , and it was something we continued when I was deployed to Afghanistan, both times, since there isn't exactly cell reception there like there is here in the US, not to mention the time difference and how busy we both are in our careers and lives. When we're home and together, we manage to make everything work, but when I'm on the _other_ side of the world...it isn't always easy to keep in touch and to be able to see and talk to her as much as I'd like.

I'm back now though, and nothing will keep me away from the woman I love or the children she's carrying inside her. "I missed you too, Babe... _so_ damn much." My lips press back against hers, and she parts her lips for my tongue as I lick her bottom lip and push my tongue inside her mouth to meet hers. Our tongues get reacquainted, tangling together slowly and taking deep pulls of the other. I get so lost in the kiss that if she wasn't pregnant, I'd take her right here, right now. I'd just lean her over the bar-

A sudden kick to my hip bone pulls me out of our kiss, and I look down at her belly in shock. Padmé grins and grabs my hand with hers in a hurry and places it onto her belly, right where my hip was pressing against it just a few seconds before. Another kick hits my hand, and I'm fully aware of the tears now streaming down my face, and honestly, I don't _fucking_ care. My little boy or my little angel... _I don't really know the genders either way_...was just saying _hi_ to his or her Daddy for the first time, and hell I'm _entitled_ \- to be emotional, dammit. Even if I knew she was pregnant before today, that wouldn't change how I feel in _this_ moment, the moment that I first felt one of my children reach out to me from inside my wife's womb.

It's a damn special moment, one that I _know_ I'll never forget.

That tiny foot... _or maybe it's a hand?_...presses against the palm of my hand again, and I can't help laughing, as I fall down to my knees and bring my other hand down to cup the other side of Padmé's growing belly. "Hi there, Little Ones," I say to her belly. "It's Daddy, can you two hear me?" A foot or hand presses against mine again, and again, and _again_. I kiss her belly gently, directly on the spot of where I felt my little one reach out to me and continue talking. "I'll take that as a yes. I'm out here with your Mommy, little one, and we can't _wait_ for you both to join us. I just want you both to know how very much we love you, and when you're ready to join us out here, we'll be waiting with open arms and will make sure you know how much we love you every single day." I press another kiss to her belly and stand back up to my feet, and once I do, I pull Padmé into my arms again, her belly turned to the side against my hip, and pull her face against my chest, running my hand through her silky soft hair and the other sliding up and down her back, trying my best to soothe her.

She's always told me I had a way with my words, and I know that pregnant women tend to be overly emotional. It's something they can't help with all those hormones flooding their system, but I'll always be here to let her know that she always has me to lean on, for _anything_. And everything. We're married, we love one another more than I once thought was humanly possible, and we're about to have our own _real_ family. We already own our own home, with the white picket fence across the front and the big fenced in backyard for the kids to one day run around in, and we have a dog, _Buddy_ , a Golden Retriever. The only thing we were missing was the children, and now, we're about to complete the picture and have the family we've always talked about having.

"I love you, Padmé," I whisper, comforting her as best I can. "I always have, and I _always_ will."

She looks up at me, tears still streaming down her beautiful face. I wipe them away with the palms of my hand and cup her face, lean down to her and press my lips back against hers.

"I've been dreaming of this day for a _long_ time, Mrs. Skywalker." A rush goes through me still, even after three years of being married to the love of my life, when I call her that: _Mrs. Skywalker. "_ I've been dreaming of a whole _lot_ of things, having kids included, but I didn't know you've been planning on surprising me, like I have you." I kiss her again, and again, and again. Open mouth kisses, just soft and tender, and letting her know how much I love her and care about her through my lips. "But, you know what I've _really_ been dreaming about?"

Her brown eyes lock on mine, and she shakes her head, no.

"This," leaning down, I steal her lips with mine. "I've missed your beautifully curved and soft lips on mine." There's a lot _more_ that I missed, but I can't go there, I'm sure, not when she's heavily pregnant with twins as she is. Last thing I'd want is to hurt her or the twins because my own selfish needs, _wants_ , even though I'm sure she's missed it, too.

Her lips mold against mine, and her tongue licks its way into my mouth. Our tongues mingle and tangle some more, in a slow, steady rhythm, that has my toes literally curling, then she pulls away and looks up at me with eyes burning with lust, _need_. "I've missed this, too, Honey," she says kissing my lips again. "I also missed you holding me in your strong arms when I sleep."

"Me too. I _definitely_ missed that." Feeling her soft little body molding to my much larger body in bed, I always felt like her knight in shining armor. If anyone _ever_ wanted to cause her harm, they'd have to go through _me_ first.

And I wouldn't dare let anyone get past me.

They'd have to kill me first, and many have tried overseas, that's for damn sure. Yet, here I am, still standing on my own two feet with my beautiful and _very_ pregnant wife in my arms as proof of that. Nothing will ever keep me from her, and nothing will ever come between us when we put our minds together.

"I can't wait to hold you in my arms when we go to sleep tonight," I say, kissing the top of her head, while still holding her flush against me with her pregnant belly pressing sideways against my hip where I feel another kick. "Yep, you too little one. I'll be sure to hold you, too."

Padmé looks up at me lovingly with her brown eyes glistening with tears. I wipe away the ones that escape and cup her face back in my hands, pressing my lips back against hers. I can _never_ get enough of these beautiful lips. They just mold to mine like they were made to be kissed by me and me _alone_.

And, without a doubt, I'm sure that they were.

Because she and I, we belong together. I knew that from the moment she literally knocked me off my feet.

Our family talking and laughing in the living room reminds me of where we are and that we're not alone. As much as I'd love to stay here with her in my arms and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist, I know I can't. "Padmé, we should get back to our family, Sweetheart. As much as I'd _love_ to spend some time alone with you, we have to wait until later tonight." We always spend at least a couple of nights over here during the Fourth of July holiday, then we go home a couple of days later, usually around early to mid afternoon, after we eat lunch.

She nods in agreement. "You're right. Then, we have a _lot_ to talk about." Yeah, she can say _that_ again.

I nod, raising an eyebrow down at her, deciding that _now_ is the time to bring up the _major_ purchase she made without running it by me. "That we do, Love...Like you going and buying a _new car_ and not telling me about it. Hmm? Babe, look, I have _no_ problem with you trading in your car and getting a new one. I mean, God _knows_ that I tend to buy things quite a lot in the spur of the moment, but I tend to talk to you about it afterwards. I just wish you'd _told_ me before you did it so we could've discussed it, y'know, and that way I would've had a chance at some input on this...Also, so I didn't look like an utter fool when my _mother_ told me you went and bought it _two months ago_ with your father. It embarrassed and shocked the hell out of me, Angel...and the _look_ on my mom's face that I _didn't_ know," I shake my head and frown, still hurt she kept this from me. "It made me feel like we're out of touch, like we don't talk about things, that we don't... _communicate_." I pause and take a deep breath, her expression is one of understanding and maybe... _disappointment_? "We _can't_ keep things from each other, surprises notwithstanding. I won't hold you keeping _this_ ," my hand falls to her belly and rubs it gently, "from me, against you, since I was planning on surprising you, too. But the car? Padmé, you _should've_ told me."

She nods, looking down at where my hand is touching her belly. I tilt her head back up with my other hand on her chin until she's looking me in the eye. "I know, and I'm sorry, Ani." Fuck, she looks so damn sad, disappointed, and I can't stand it.

She didn't do anything wrong, not really, and I feel the need to clarify that. "Hey, don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong, per se. I get it. I _do_. I'm just asking that we not keep anything from each other. Buying a new car is a big deal, Babe. It's a _lot_ of money, even with a good deal on it, and it's something _we_ should have an equal say on. All I'm asking for is a heads up, or an, _oh by the way_...that's all. I want to hear these things from _you_ , not my mom. Deal?"

She nods and I press my lips back against hers, feeling the need to make her forget about anything and everything else for the moment except for me, _us_. She pulls back from the kiss and opens her mouth to speak. "Ani, I'm sorry...I just couldn't fit behind the wheel of my _Civic_ anymore, and when we first found out it was twins, my parents and Sola and I realized we were going to need a bigger car. When our parents went in together and bought us a double stroller, it wouldn't even _fit_ in the trunk of my old car...So, Dad started helping me look for a bigger vehicle. I didn't tell you about the car because...well, I was afraid you'd start asking questions that I couldn't answer without ruining the surprise..." she trails off, her face once again sad, and she gives me a pleading look, her eyes begging me to understand.

And, I do...I can see her reasoning. So, in _this_ case, given the circumstances are rather special, I can let it go.

"I get it, Babe. It's ok. But, no more car buying alone, yeah? Anyway, now that we got _that_ out of the way, let's say we rejoin our family, and then _tonight_ , we'll get our first good sleep in a _long_ time, and when we leave here day after tomorrow, we can talk about our future and everything it entails." There's no doubt a lot we still have to talk about, but that could wait another day or two. Today, we have our family here with us to celebrate America's birthday and to celebrate my returning home from war, safe and sound.

I want today to be special, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't already. Coming home to surprise my wife with an early homecoming, only for her to surprise me with being pregnant with not _one_ kid, but _two_ , is special by any definition, and it's one thing I've been looking forward to most of all.

Padmé is the love of my life, and I'm more than ready to take this next _major_ step of our lives with her, because I know that _we're_ ready for it and I know that we're gonna make _great_ parents.

 _Parents_.

That's something we've been talking about since we got married, in those quiet moments when we'd be lying down in our bed, wrapped in each other's arms after some lovemaking while we were sated, completely spent, we'd talk about our future together.

We've both always wanted kids. We never decided on a final number, but we both agreed we wanted kids, _plural_. Padmé loves her nieces like they're her own children, and I'd always see a look of longing in her beautiful brown eyes, a look that told me she wanted to have kids of her own. Last year, when we were in a time of our lives where we were financially secure and stable in our careers and our lives, that is when we took the step of _not_ using birth control anymore.

I stopped using condoms, and she stopped taking the pill.

And we'd spend those nights envisioning our future together, planning out _every_ detail. The house we bought a few months later, fit our vision to a tee. We bought it with _every_ intention of raising our children in it. Once we laid eyes on it, we knew it was destined to be ours, and we made it so.

The yard is big and beautiful, with a nice, large in-ground pool, plenty of space for the kids to run around in, and just like this lake house, there's a lake just beyond our fenced in backyard. Padmé would talk about making the baby's room be just overlooking her own personal flower garden, with the pool and the lake just beyond it.

I could always picture it beautifully, as she'd describe it in every detail. And, I could see the look in her eye as she did. It was truly a thing of beauty. She always was _so_ happy when talking about our future together, when talking about our future children, and now that future is _here_.

That future is now _reality_.

And, I can't wait until we welcome them into the world, into our amazing and loving family.

"You ready, Ani?"

I smile down at her and steal a kiss, something I'm going to be doing a _whole_ lot of now, just like I always have before.

"Definitely."

We hold hands and go rejoin our family in the living room. Only the younger married couples, Snips, and our nieces are present. Our parents are nowhere to be seen.

"Our moms and dads went out back to start cooking. They said they'll call for us when the food is ready," Owen says, obviously seeing the question in my eyes. "We're thinking of going out back, and I know the girls want to go swim, care to join us?"

Our nieces speak up at that and run right to me, their brown eyes wide. "Will you swim with us, Uncle Ani?! _Pleeeeeease!"_ The girls ask in unison.

I nod, more than eager to just let go of the past six months and relax here with my family as we enjoy ourselves and each other's company.

"Definitely," I say to the girls, smiling, as if I could _ever_ tell them no, "just let me go change, and I'll join you outside."

They squeal in excitement and are led outside by their parents. Snips, Owen and Beru join them, once again leaving Padmé and myself alone.

"Sola found one of your swimsuits when she and Darred took the room we normally use," she informs me as she lets go of my hand to let me go and change. "It's in my bag in our room. I'll meet you out there when you're done."

We give each other another kiss and then go our separate ways for the moment, and even though I know we're not leaving one another, that doesn't stop me from quickly going to our room, pulling out my swim trunks from her bag, changing into the board shorts that are my favorite, and then rejoin them all out back on the deck.

"That was fast," Padmé remarks with a smirk, as I wrap my arms around her chest from behind.

I hum in agreement. "Yep, didn't want to spend any time longer away from you. I've already spent enough time away as it is."

She looks over her shoulder at me, and I lean down and meet her soft, sweet, succulent lips with mine. "Aren't you sweet?" she says.

I give her a feral grin and waggle my brows. "Only when I'm with my wife," I whisper, and that's the truth. There's _nothing_ sweet about me any other time, and if she could see what was on my mind earlier, she wouldn't be calling me sweet at all.

I kiss her again, something I'll be sure to do anytime I can for the rest of our lives, because if there's one thing I know to be true, it's that I'll _never_ tire of feeling them against mine.

Just like I'll never tire of calling her my wife, the mother of my children, my soulmate.

My _everything_.

Just as I'm about to bring her with me down to the beach to go swimming with our nieces, I notice that she isn't _exactly_ dressed to go swimming. Usually _she's_ the one dragging _me_ to go swimming. She knows I usually just grumble and complain about it being too cold until she whispers certain words into my ear that have me _eagerly_ running for the water, sometimes throwing her squealing form over my shoulder as I go.

However, that _isn't_ the case here. She's still wearing her same clothes as earlier, her pink, wide-strapped, voluminous tank top and dark blue shorts that I've never seen before, but if I had to guess, I'd say are maternity shorts. No doubt she can't fit into her old ones now.

She grips my hands with her own and tugs on them, I look down at her and our eyes lock. "You go on and have fun with our nieces. I can't swim here. Doctor's orders. I could get an infection in my condition, and I would _never_ put the twins at risk like that." Nor would I allow her to put the twins in that kind of situation. I'll just have to suck it up and join our nieces alone. "Go on, Honey, have fun. I'll have plenty of company up here."

I frown. Her words do little to reassure me. If swimming in fresh water that she grew up swimming in can give her an infection, then what _else_ can put her and the twins at risk? I guess, I'll have a lot of learning to do now that I'm home, and you can bet your ass, I'll learn _everything_ I can to care for my wife and kids as best I can.

The last thing I'd _ever_ want is to put too much pressure on my beautiful wife's shoulders. We're a team, partners, soon-to-be parents of twins, and I will carry my weight and take some off of her shoulders whenever I can.

Mine are broad and strong enough, after all, to do whatever it is they have to do.

Sola comes over to join us and hooks an arm through Padmé's. "Go on, Anakin. I got her." She assures me, and I know she does, so I nod, give Padmé another quick kiss, and stroll on down the wooden stairs to the shore and watch our nieces play with their father before they turn and see me, they smile widely and wave me towards them.

"Come on, Uncle Ani! It's not cold, see?" Ryoo shouts as they start splashing me with water that is surprisingly not _that_ cold, though I won't say warm either.

I laugh as they continue to splash me and seeing as how I'm nearly engulfed in water from head to toe, I run on in and dive between the girls, holding my breath and swimming around them, grabbing their little legs as I do.

Once I resurface their giggling reaches my ears, and their splashing resumes. Darred appears to be enjoying this immensely, as he watches us from about ten feet away, and he appears mysteriously dry from the waist up. That gets an idea in my head, and once the girls start to get tired and stop splashing me, I whisper conspiratorially with them about my idea, and they giggle, loving it.

"Hey, Daddy?" Pooja says in her little innocent voice, an innocent voice that isn't _entirely_ innocent...

Darred shakes his head. "Sorry, honey, but I'm _not_ coming _any_ closer." He shoots me a knowing look, a look that lets me know he is _well_ aware of his daughter's intentions.

Pooja continues on though, unhindered. " _Daddy_!" She gives an exaggerated whine, throwing her hands in the air. "Come on! You said you'd play with us!"

Darred starts to walk towards the shore, apparently not falling for his youngest daughter's trick. He knows me well. This doesn't surprise me, but I won't let him get away that easy. "You got your Uncle Ani here now. He'll play with you." His back is to us, as he continues moving towards the sandy shore. I take that moment to move as quietly as I can, even if the water is sloshing around where I move, and then I'm right behind him, and before he has the chance to turn around, my arms wrap around his waist, and I lift him off his feet and drag him back out to deeper water.

The girls are giggling, finding the entire thing funny. Darred doesn't. He bellows and kicks around and tries to get me to let him go, but I refuse. "Nope, you're stuck with us, Janren! Deal with it, Bro." He must know his actions are futile, for he stops fighting at my words and surrenders to my will.

Did I mention that my military training includes _hours_ and _hours_ in the gym keeping in tip top shape? Yep. That means I'm also muscled, and could easily benchpress twice my weight.

And, right now, my _will_ is getting him _just_ as soaked as his daughters got me. This is my payback for him cheating against me earlier when he used his souped up car against me in _Forza._ His plan may have backfired, just as it has this time, but that isn't going to stop me from getting my revenge.

When we get back to where the girls are, I fall back and let the water overtake me as Darred goes under with me. We resurface, and he spits water out of his mouth that he must not have been expecting, and the girls giggle as they start to splash their father, and I join them in splashing him.

He shoots me a look that probably could've killed me, if looks could kill. Then, he looks over at his girls and gives them a ' _You better run'_ look, and he starts to splash them and _me_ right back.

We team up on him and splash each other in an all out splash war for a while, until we start to tire each other out. The sun starts to dip lower over the horizon, and the sky turns a pinkish-orange. That tells me, from my experience as an aviator, that it's about eight or so in the evening.

From the looks of it, the girls are getting tired, and so are we. Honestly, I'm beat from my full day traveling half way around the world, not to mention the time difference wreaking havoc with my body clock about now, and I'm _more_ than ready to start settling down for the night.

And, that's when Jobal calls for us. Apparently, dinner is now ready. Great! Because, I'm _starving._ We all start making our way out of the water, when I feel a shove to my side, and before I can even get a chance to regain my balance, the water engulfs me, and now it's _me_ that's spitting out water when I resurface, and I make sure to shoot a murderous look Darred's way.

He just gives me the same look as earlier, when he selected his customized car, an unrepentant smirk on his face, and a shrug of his shoulders. "It's on now, Bro." I warn him, with a quirk of my eyebrow and a nod of my head, and I stand back up to my feet.

" _Boys_ ," Jobal says with her hands on her hips, and a smile gracing her face as she shakes her head at us.

We make our way up the stairs towards her and dry off as best we can with the towels she hands us, and then we go and take our seats with our women at the long table set up on the patio. Citronella candles are lined up along the deck railing and placed intermittently along the table and are flickering in the evening breeze.

Padmé gives me an amused look, my short curly mop sticking up in weird directions. "Have fun?" She asks, as I pull my polo shirt back on over my head, mussing my hair up more.

I nod. I definitely had fun down there with the girls and Darred. It feels nice being able to do the little things like this again. I hate to admit it, and I try to never discuss this with my wife, not wanting to upset her further, but leaving for war, you never know what to expect.

Will this be my last flight?

Will this be my last day on Earth?

Will I get to see my beautiful wife again? My mother? My family?

Will I get to return home, _alive_?

These thoughts are _always_ on your mind when being deployed, when serving your country. You never know what to expect, but you have to push all of these thoughts to the back of your mind, so you don't get distracted during your mission, your purpose of being where you are and by what you're supposed to be doing.

I'm good at pushing distractions out of my way. I can't afford _any_ when I'm flying in the air at nearly Mach 2. I can't afford any _period,_ because distractions kill, and I'm not about to become a casualty of my own mind.

But, for now, that's behind me. Today, I'm alive, here with my wife and family, safe and sound. I made it through my second tour of duty unscathed, and I'm _more_ than thankful for that. All of my brothers and sisters in my squadron made it back in one piece from this deployment, as a matter of fact, and I'm thankful for that, too.

Just like I'm thankful for my wife and the surprise she gave me.

So, I allowed myself to go and have some fun. To shrug off the seriousness and horror of war and the stress that wanted to swallow me alive from being separated by the woman I love. "Damn right I did, Babe," I tell her, with a little smile. She always did call me a big kid, and she's right, I am.

She smiles, knowingly. "I could tell. It was nice seeing you, the girls, and Darred acting like your old selves again. Darred's been like a zombie these last six months without you to keep him company."

That doesn't surprise me. We became fast friends when Padmé first introduced me to her family, and we've only become closer, as the years went by. He tends to be one of the first people I call when I have a problem, outside of work, and he's also one of the first people I call when I want to go and do something. I've dragged him offroading, hiking, surfing, and camping, just to name a few.

He quickly became one of my best friends outside the military, and over the last six months, I missed him, too.

"Yes, Anakin," Sola says with a roll of her eyes, "Darred's been acting like a lost puppy without his brother in crime around." Darred doesn't look amused by either of our wives' comments. I'm sure I do though. My smirk says it all.

"Actually," I say, "I think he'd rather me still be overseas, especially with the way I defeated him in _Forza Motorsports 7_ and won his _Audi_ for the next week."

Sola and Padmé burst out laughing at that, Padmé knowingly because I mean this is _me_ here, the race champion, and Sola, because..."You _lost?_ " She laughs at her husband. "Honey, you've been playing that game for _months_ now just so you could beat Anakin when he got home, and he beat you after never even playing the game?!"

I roll my head to stare at my brother-in-law, an _Oh Really?_ look clearly on my face.

Darred shakes his head, his cheeks more than a little red. "You just _had_ to mention that didn't you?" he shoots at his wife.

He only _just_ got it, huh? Busted. I already knew that much, but _months_? Plural?

Sola gives him a shrug. "Didn't know it was a secret."

Darred shakes his head. "Uh huh," he says.

I give him an amused shrug of my shoulders, rubbing his nose in it more. "Soooo, Brother...Been playing for months, eh? Cheater. _Welllll,_ it didn't help you win, obviously. We still know who's king of the road in _this_ family..."

"And you have to go and gloat about it, typical."

"Sure do." I say, amused by how flustered he's getting over it. "After all, I wouldn't want you to try backing out of our bet, and besides, when have you ever known me to _not_ gloat?"

"Ha, never." Padmé answers for him. She's right. I've been known to gloat, every now and again. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? I'm just good at what I do, and I _know_ I'm good at what I do. Everyone else at this table does, too.

I wrap my arm around my wife and tug her into my embrace. "Why shouldn't I?" Everything I have in my life is something to be proud of, something to tell the world about. "I got you, don't I? Out of _all_ the men in the world, you chose to give _me_ your heart, and then you agreed to marry me. I'd say that's something worth gloating over. I mean, have you _seen_ yourself in the mirror lately?" I waggle my eyebrows at her suggestively.

Her cheeks heat up instantly at my words. I love making her blush. It's so damn cute, adorable really. I like knowing I still have that effect on her, because she sure as hell has that effect on _me._ Though, I don't embarrass easily, so her making me blush takes work. And a lot of it.

"Babe," she looks up at the sound of my voice, and our eyes lock. "You're the _sexiest_ woman I've ever seen, and the one and only woman I could _never_ get out of my head. Trust me. I tried. I really didn't think a relationship between us could work, given our rather radical career choices. But it did, and I'm grateful for it, because you have _no_ idea what kind of affect you had on my young impressionable mind." I wink at her. She's only 6 months older than me, which I find sexy as hell, but I like to tease her every once in awhile about being an _older_ woman who _seduced_ me.

She swats me playfully on the arm, and I laugh. That's true though. She _did_ make quite the impression on me, and I never forgot her. I mean, how could I possibly _ever_ forget her? She's freaking beautiful.

"Aww," Sola says from across the table. "Why can't you say sweet words like that to me, Honey?" I'm paying her no mind, but I know she's obviously talking to Darred who I can hear grumbling curses under his breath.

"Kiss me, Ani." I can't refuse an order from my Angel, and I would never _not_ kiss her, so what's a man to do? I'm weak when it comes to her, always was and always will be. So, I lean down and take her lips in mine.

Movement breaks out on the deck and footsteps surround us as our parents come out carrying trays of food. "Ah-hem...None of _that_ out here," I can hear my mother say. "This is a family friendly environment, _not_ the bedroom."

Laughter ensues, but I ignore it all and deliberately take Padmé into a deeper kiss before letting go with a _pop,_ and my eyes stay locked on hers the whole time, our foreheads touching. "Trust me, Mom, I know that; otherwise, you all would've had quite a show on your hands, and I wouldn't really care _who_ saw."

 _"Ani!"_ Padmé says, her face turning redder.

I shrug, innocently, holding a smile back. "What? It's the truth, and _you_ know it. What we do isn't something to shy away from. It's _perfectly_ normal for a married couple to-" her hands fly up and cover my mouth. I waggle my eyebrows at her, my eyes twinkling mischievously, and unperturbed by her actions, I kiss the palm of one of her hands before running the tip of my tongue across it, and smirk against her skin.

She's never been one comfortable of speaking about sex, even when we're alone together. Its taken quite some time for her to even tell _me_ what she likes in bed. I am the first and only man that she's ever been intimate with though, and that's a badge of honor I wear with pride, deep respect, and total adoration.

Just like the wings I earned when I completed advanced flight training for my _F-22,_ to become an official pilot in the US Air Force.

At the time, that was my greatest achievement, at least it was until Padmé and myself got married. And here we are, a few years later, and today is probably the best, or one of the top two best, days of my life. Our wedding day being one of those.

The day I found out that I'll be a daddy, that I'll be the father of twins now being the other.

That's still a _lot_ to wrap my head around, and I'm sure it'll take some time to digest and _really_ sink in.

Everything isn't going to revolve around _us_ anymore. It'll revolve around our children. And, I can totally dig that, actually. It's all we've been talking about for a while now, after all, and now that it's here and real, it's a bit _surreal,_ really, at least for me, and I can't help palming her belly again with my hand to reassure myself that _yes_ \- its real, we're going to be _PARENTS_!

My eyes lift to Padmé's as she places a hand over mine, and we share a wide grin. "What are we having?" The question that's been on my mind slips out, and I find myself really wanting to get us back home to start on their room. Hopefully, she hasn't done _everything_ so far. We also talked about that previously, and I made sure she knew that _I_ would be decorating their room _with_ her. I've always been good with my hands, and evidence of that could be seen strewn throughout our house, in the garage, and in our backyard. So, I hope she hasn't undertaken all the decorating herself. I want it to be a joint effort with both our input.

She smiles serenely at me, placing her hand on my thigh and squeezing gently, "A boy and a girl. One of each."

I feel a jolt of excitement run through me at this knowledge. My son and my daughter! How perfect is _that?_ One thing we hadn't ever discussed was what gender we would like to have...but I can't deny that, secretly, I always hoped for a daughter. An adorable mini version of Padmé, my very own Daddy's Little Girl. But, I am _more_ than pleased to know I'm going to have a _son,_ as well. A son I can watch sports with, work on the car with, build and tinker with, go camping with...

Leaning down, I press a gentle kiss to my wife's forehead, and I whisper, "I love all three of you, _so much._ " I pull back and watch as her eyes tear up once more, and I give her a gentle smile before releasing her belly and turning my attention to the divine smelling _feast_ on the table before us, the smell of which is making my mouth water.

This holiday spread looks _amazing_ , and I admit I am seriously looking forward to _this._ What can I say? I'm a guy, and guys like to eat. Glancing up and down the table, I see we have barbecued chicken, heaping bowls of potato salad, grill roasted corn on the cob, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, and grilled and buttered slices of Texas toast with pitchers of refreshing lemonade and iced tea to drink. Wow. No wonder my mouth was watering! Usually, we just grill hamburgers and hot dogs for July 4th. Guess this year we're going all out, which is fine by me... _and_ my stomach. We all dig in, passing serving bowls and plates up and down the table. Glancing over at my wife, I am both shocked and amused to see her plate near to overflowing with food, and my eyebrows rise in surprise to see her tuck into her meal with gusto. I know pregnant women have an increased appetite, but I honestly didn't expect _this._ Padmé is a tiny petite little thing with an appetite to match. To see her wolfing down a _huge_ meal...one that rivals _my_ appetite...is a tad bit _surprising,_ to say the least. Amused, I shake my head and tuck into my own meal, closing my eyes with a sigh of contentment as I chew the first bite.

The sky gradually darkens as the sound of frequent laughter accompanies the clink of silverware. The solar deck lights turn on illuminating the area in a soft glow as our meal winds down. Leaning back in my chair, replete from such a fabulous home cooked meal, I drape my arm across the back of my wife's chair, caressing the top of her shoulder with a whisper soft touch of my fingertips. Sola, Beru, Darred, and Owen stand up and begin clearing away the dishes and any remaining food. I made to join them, but Sola simply waved me back in my chair with a shake of her head, which I appreciate, because I gotta admit, stifling a yawn, I'm almost totally exhausted by this point. Glancing over at Padmé, I smile softly to see her leaning her head against my shoulder, eyes closed, sound asleep. She has her right hand resting on top of her belly, and I can feel her left hand draped over my right thigh.

"She tires very easily now, Anakin," I hear my mother-in-law say softly, as she looks down the table at us with a soft smile. Getting up, she and and own mother move down across from me so we can converse quietly without disturbing Padmé. I glance at my wife, not surprised to hear this, but also longing to find out more about the last six months of my wife's life without me here to help.

I nod my head slowly as Jobal continues speaking, "She's had a rough time of it, unfortunately. She had _horrible_ morning sickness almost from the start. I mean _severe,_ too. She was sick morning, noon, and night, 24/7. It got so bad she lost twenty pounds the first six weeks, and her doctor put her in the hospital for a week to give her IV medication and fluids to stabilize her."

My eyes widen and my mouth drops open in shock at this news. Glancing down at my wife, I feel my heart clench. Dammit, I _should_ ' _ve_ been here to help her - not flying sorties over foreign soil! Sighing with regret, I turn back to look at our mothers, a pensive look on my face. "What else has she had to deal with while I've been gone?"

This time my mother speaks up, "Well, she's been having a l _ot_ of problems with high blood pressure and with severe water retention. Her feet, ankles, hands, and fingers stay swollen all the time now. She had to quit wearing her wedding ring, and we had to throw out _all_ of her shoes. The only shoes she can comfortably wear are bedroom slippers. Unfortunately, her doctor has had to put her on mandatory partial bed rest. She can only work four hours a day three days a week for now. The rest of the time, she's supposed to be flat of her back with her feet elevated to try to reduce the swelling. Sola, Beru, and her friends Dormé and Sabé have had to take turns staying with her the last two months to help her get around, get in and out of the shower, and be there at night if she needs help, because she can't get in and out of a chair by herself anymore and because she tires so easily now."

I groan deep in my throat and reach up to pinch the bridge of my nose with the fingers of my left hand. I was afraid I'd hear something like this. And, the _guilt_ I suddenly feel is intense to say the least. No, there wasn't anything I could do about being deployed overseas the last six months, but that doesn't mean I don't feel badly my wife has endured all of this alone...Well, maybe not necessarily _alone,_ no...but most definitely without _me. And, I should've been the one here to care for her._

"Of course, she's felt terrible for _imposing_ on all of us, her words, not ours - you _know_ how independent she is, but when the transmission blew out on the _Civic_ when she was out at 2 a.m., that's wh-" Jobal is explaining further, but I interrupt her at that point with a minor explosion.

" _What?!_ When did that happen? And, what the _hell_ was she doing out alone at _2 a.m_., for anyway?!" I demand to know in a hushed whisper, still cognizant of the fact my wife is sleeping soundly on my shoulder.

Jobal shrugs, amused, "Burger run to _Jack in the Box._ Cravings, you know."

I roll my eyes, unamused myself. My wife may be independent, fiercely so, but I am equally so a protective husband, and no way, no _how_ would I allow _my_ wife to go out at that time of night by herself without me...and she _won't_ be doing that anymore now that I'm home. That's for damn sure. If she wants a burger at 2 a.m., either _I'll_ go get it for her or _we'll_ go get it together. No way am I risking her and the twins' safety by possibly getting stranded somewhere, or _worse_ in her condition at that time of night. It's too dangerous.

"So, anyway, she called Ruwee...and he and I went and picked her up. The manager of the restaurant was kind enough to let her leave the car there till Ruwee could have it towed the next morning to the shop. We paid to replace the transmission, and that's when Ruwee sort of insisted it was time to go car shopping," Jobal finishes up the story. Of course, Padmé conveniently left out the bit about the transmission going on the car when she gave me her explanation. Figures.

She worries too fucking much about everyone else and not enough about _herself_. I love how selfless she is sometimes, but there is also a time when you have to put yourself and needs first. Especially when it's not just _you_ anymore, it's us.

Her, me, _and_ our twins.

She has to put her health first, her wellbeing before mine or anyone else's. If her health and wellbeing goes to shit, then so don't the twins, and that's simply unacceptable. I know Padmé would never knowingly put them at risk, but it wouldn't be the first time where I had to step in and make her put her school books down for the night and get some sleep.

So if I have to resort to _forcing_ her to put her health and wellbeing first, then so be it. I can take care of myself, I don't need her to worry for or about me. I have enough people who do that anyway, two of those people are sitting across from me.

I grab Padmé's hand that's resting on my thigh and I take it in mine, locking our fingers together and bringing her hand up to my lips, I kiss it tenderly. Her head that's resting on my shoulder moves slightly and feeling exhausted just looking at her, I move my other arm around her back and lean her backwards gently, so as not to wake her.

She stirs slightly in my arms, but doesn't awaken. I smile and kiss her on the forehead, then let her hand go and lock my other arm under her legs, lifting her into my arms, like I'm carrying a baby- like I _will_ be carrying a baby, _our_ twin babies, they'll just be way smaller and lighter than she is.

Damn, this isn't the first time I carried her like this or caveman style, she really has gained weight and is a _little_ hard to carry, but I manage it and stand to my feet. Our mothers stand too and knowing what I'm doing, they lead the way and open the doors ahead for me.

I nod my thanks as we enter our bedroom and I settle her down on our bed, settling her down on the left side of the bed. I don't lie down though, not yet.

First, I make sure she's comfortable, stripping her out of her shorts and pink tank top, throwing the garments off and out of the way. She turns onto her side, eyes still closed.

Second, I strip myself naked. Tossing my board shorts and polo shirt off onto the floor as well, and walk to the closet, open my backpack and pull out a clean pair of boxers. I'll admit, when we're together, we usually sleep in the nude, after a night of lovemaking, but we can't do that now and I don't want my dick getting any ideas.

No way, no how.

As unfortunate as that is.

Third, I lock our door which our moms closed when they left us alone and I slide into bed. It feels like heaven to be able to do this with her again, and I take a moment to let the feeling soak in, before I slide up behind my wife, pulling her growing body against mine so her back is caressing my abdomen and chest, her smooth legs rubbing against my own longer and hairy ones and her head resting against the crook of my neck. I wrap my arms around her, one of my hands resting on her belly and the other on her side.

Her hair tickles my neck and face, so I brush it out of the way and inhale it deeply, loving the scent that fills my nostrils. The heavenly scent of my loving and beautiful wife. I kiss the top of her head and rub her belly.

"Good night, my love," I say kissing her head again, and then rub her belly some more, caressing the little ones inside, letting them know I'm here. "Good night, little ones. Daddy loves you, Mommy does too. Don't forget that... _ever_..."

Blackness overtakes me as soon as my head hits he pillow, my eyes flutter close and I fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

This story is definitely going to be focused on romance and family, and we're only just beginning! I hope you all enjoy the journey that Anakin's partaking. It should be a good one, one we wish we could've seen in the real Star Wars. How awesome would it have been to see an alternate path?

If you haven't already, please follow, favorite and review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Surprise Homecoming - Chapter 3**

* * *

I jolt awake suddenly. Groggy, I feel discombobulated for a few moments.

Where the _hell_ am I?

Reaching my hands up to rub them slowly over my face, that's when I remember. I'm not in my barracks at the base in Afghanistan anymore.

No. I'm _home._ In California. At my in-laws' lake house.

With my family.

Specifically, with my _very_ pregnant wife.

 _Padmé._

Peeling my eyes open slowly, I'm confused again when I look around and notice the room is dark with only the soft silvery-blue glow of moonlight shining through the window blinds. Rolling onto my back, I smile and gently reach out my hand to rub my wife's bare back…only to hit air.

 _What?!_

Bolting upright with a gasp, I look over to Padmé's side of the bed only to find it empty. Glancing at the red numbers on the digital clock on my nightstand, it reads 01:45. What the _fuck?_ It's the middle of the night. We've only been asleep since about nine. So, a few hours, yeah, but not _nearly_ long enough for my exhausted body. Huh. Maybe she had to go to the bathroom? Easing back against the pillow, I start to relax again only to remember…

Jobal said she'd been going on burger runs at this time of night. _Alone._

Dammit! Not tonight, she's not! No _fucking_ way is she going without me. I don't care _how_ tired I still am. Throwing back the covers, I hop out of bed and rush over to the dresser, jerking open the drawer I put my clothes in earlier, reaching in and grabbing a pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt. Throwing them on quickly, I look over and see that the clothes I took off of her and left on the floor earlier are now _gone. Which means she must have grabbed them and gotten dressed in the bathroom,_ I can't help thinking, as I hastily shove my feet in my deck shoes, grab my wallet and phone and shove them in my pockets, then open the closet, step in, and open my backpack to grab a sweatshirt to throw on. It may be July and the middle of summer, true, but this is northern California, and nights can _still_ get rather chilly, even at this time of year.

Walking quickly to the bedroom door, I open it, looking first toward the bathroom to make sure she's not simply using the facilities. She's not. The lights are off, except for the nightlight, and the door is wide open. Shaking my head, a snort of frustration escapes me as I tip-toe quickly down the hallway, trying not to disturb anyone sleeping. Reaching the living room, I don't see her. So, I open the front door, and step out into the night air, and _Bingo!_

Found her. Making her way over towards our new SUV, the flashlight on her cellphone shining on the ground to light her way. Huffing, I dash across the yard and catch up with her just as she's hitting the key fob to unlock the SUV.

"Angel, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" I demand in a hushed whisper, standing behind her with my hands on my hips, my lips pressed together and twisted to the side in annoyance.

She squeals and whirls around kind of clumsily given her huge bulk now, throwing a hand up against her chest. Just as I thought, she's redressed in the same tank top and shorts from earlier, but she now has a sweater on to help against the mildly chilly night air. She's wearing some flip flops on her feet this time, not bedroom slippers. "Ani! You scared me!" She's breathing hard, and I've no doubts I did frighten her a little bit, for which I'm sorry, but I'm still not pleased that she's trying to sneak out of the house like a teenager trying to make a beer run.

"Sorry, Babe, I didn't mean to frighten you, but answer my question. _What_ are you doing? It's the middle of the night, Angel. We should _both_ be in bed sleeping." I give her a pointed look and step closer to her.

She ducks her head sheepishly, shrugging her right shoulder, and when she speaks, her words are soft and she sounds somewhat embarrassed. I also notice she's fidgeting with her keys with her hands. "Sorry, Ani. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just…I'm hungry, and I wanted a –"

I sigh and hold up my hand, nodding my head knowingly, cutting her off before she can say it, "You wanted a burger, right?"

It's too dark to tell, but I'm positive she's blushing. She nods her head shyly, "Yeah. _Jack in the Box_. Their drive thru is open twenty-four hours."

Sighing, I reach my right hand out, "Gimme the keys, Babe. I'm driving." She smiles and hands me the keys. I wrap my fingers around them, then reach out and grasp her right elbow gently with my left hand, "This way, Milady. Your chariot awaits." She giggles as I guide her round the back of the SUV to the front passenger seat. I open the now unlocked door, and help her climb in. Jobal wasn't kidding. She's a _lot_ more cumbersome now than she was. I'm so used to her being lithe and athletic, trim and tiny. This new _rounded_ body of hers, while beautiful, is difficult to maneuver…particularly in tight spaces, like those in our new car. Though, I admit, her old _Civic_ would have been a _lot_ worse.

Once she's in her seat and buckled in, I shut the door, walk back around, and open the driver's side door. I notice right away that there's no way I can manage to fit my long body in behind the wheel, not the way it's currently configured. _Tall people problems,_ I sigh to myself. I hear another giggle. My wife is all too familiar with this particular seating _adjustment,_ since we had to do this every time I drove her _Civic_ or she drove my 2014 _Jeep Grand Cherokee,_ which is probably still parked in our garage where it's sat for the last six months

Figuring out where the buttons are that I need, I adjust the seat to fit my height and climb in, shutting the door. Inputting the key, I'm pleased the engine fires right up and that the inside of the cabin is pleasantly quiet. Reaching up, I turn on the overhead light and look all around, finding the headlights and turning them on and then look over all the controls. I nod my head, quite pleased with the vehicle. The seats are extremely comfortable and done in a soft gray color that goes well with the darker gray on the outside of the SUV. Looking over my shoulder, I notice it's big and roomy, and it still has that distinctive _new car_ smell to it. Smiling over at Padmé, I notice she's been quietly watching me inspect our new SUV. Raising her eyebrows at me expectantly, she smiles, "Well? Like it?"

I can't help but nod, "Yeah. It's great! Mom said it was super nice, and she's right. It is. I like it, Sweetheart. You and Ruwee picked out a really nice SUV."

"Thanks, Honey! Glad you like it. It's definitely got _waaay_ more room than my old car had," she smiles at me and motions toward the back of the SUV with her left hand, "and we're going to need it when the twins are born for sure."

She's right. It certainly does, and we'll need it, what with _two_ car seats, a packed diaper bag, and a _double_ stroller to haul around. I murmur my agreement, shift into reverse, and back up onto the circular paved driveway. Shifting again, into drive, we head around the tree outcropping in the front of the house and then down the driveway and out onto the empty road. I'm pleased with how smooth and quiet the SUV is, and it handles really well. "How's this thing on gas, Babe?" I ask, as I head toward town and the nearest _Jack in the Box._

"Not bad. Twenty-one city, twenty-seven highway." She replies. I nod and purse my lips. Yeah, that's pretty good, and _Toyota_ vehicles are well made and last a long time, which, with two little ones on the way, is good to know.

The ride is quiet for a few minutes, but I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, annoyed and frustrated that she would just take off in the middle of the night without telling me. Heaving a sigh, I am trying to think of how to broach my concerns about this, when she says, "Ani, what's wrong? Are you still upset about the car?"

Glancing over at her before looking back to the road, I shake my head, "No. It's the not the car that bothers me. We discussed that, and I'm good. It's that I'm not pleased with you taking off by yourself in your condition in the middle of the night. Ok, I doubt seriously the transmission would blow on _this_ car like it did your old one," I pause when I hear her inhale sharply, and I glance over at her again. She's biting her lower lip like she does when she's embarrassed or really nervous.

"Oh. You know about that, huh." She sounds embarrassed.

" _Yeah._ Your _mother_ told me after dinner when you fell asleep leaning on my shoulder. She said you'd gone on a burger run and had to call her and your father to come get you at two in the morning. Babe, I'm a little bit ticked about that, ok. You left that bit out when you gave me _your_ explanation about why you traded in your car."

"I'm sorry, Ani. I did tell you the truth when I said I couldn't fit behind the wheel and that the stroller we have was too big for the trunk. I didn't tell you about the transmission because I didn't want you to worry, Honey. I mean, you had enough to deal with just trying to stay _alive_ over there. I didn't want to add to that, y'know?"

It's times like this that I remember…my wife's a lawyer. And a damn good one, too.

I shoot her another glance, "Padmé, telling me about the transmission on the car is something I _should_ have known about…regardless of my job, and for the record, I _always_ worry about you when I'm away on deployment. So, that wouldn't change one iota, no matter what. You're my wife, and as such, you're _always_ my primary concern in life, Angel. I know you wanted to keep the pregnancy a surprise. I get that, but you could've discussed the car with me without giving the surprise way. I mean, _all_ you would've had to tell me was the transmission blew, and I would've been all for you getting a new vehicle."

She sighs, "Ok, Ani. I'm sorry."

I get that she's sorry, and that's all well and good, but she still doesn't realize how upset I am at her going out by herself at this time of night.

"Angel, I know your independence is important to you, and I _love_ that about you, but I don't like you going out alone at night, especially _this_ late at night…not for any reason, whether it's a burger run or whether it's to go to _Walmart._ The idea of you being stuck somewhere in the middle of the night this late in your pregnancy gives me the chills, Babe. So, please, don't sneak out alone anymore, ok? If you want a burger at two in the morning, or if we suddenly need more diapers at midnight for example, let me know, and either I'll go out for you or we'll go out together, and if I'm not home, _please_ call your folks or Sola for help. Deal? For me?" I shoot her a pleading look that she smiles and nods at.

"Ok, Ani…For _you_ …I'll do it."

"Good." I smile and reach over and grab her left hand and bring it up to my lips, kissing the back of it, before letting go of her hand and placing my own back on the wheel. We continue our drive in silence. There's almost no traffic out tonight, and within ten minutes, we're turning into _Jack in the Box._ Pulling up to the order board, Padmé is already telling me what she wants before I can even ask. I can't help smirking. _She's got this down to a science._

"Ani, I want the _Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal_ with a large _Dr. Pepper."_

I nod my head, perusing the menu, deciding to get the same thing myself but with a large _Coke._

The rather bored sounding drive thru worker asks for our order, and I reply, "Yeah, I'd like two of the _Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meals_ , one with a large _Coke,_ one with a large _Dr. Pepper_ , please."

The worker gives me the total, thanks me, and I pull forward. One thing I _do_ appreciate about being back home is the fact that you can head out to a twenty-four-hour restaurant or a _Walmart_ to grab something to eat when you're hungry at two in the morning. You can't readily do that in Afghanistan…even on base.

Unhooking my seatbelt, I reach for my wallet, pull out some cash, and pay the worker for our meals. He gives me back my change, and I quickly stuff the bills in my wallet and hand Padmé the coins, which she dumps in a change holder in the SUV. Good to know where that is now. Then, I'm handed our drinks next, which I set down in the cup holders, followed by our food, which comes in two cardboard boxes. He hands me some napkins, and I thank him and hand Padmé our meals, and then we're pulling away from the window. I pause to rehook my seatbelt, and then we're heading back onto the road and back to the lake house.

I glance over at my wife, and I try not to laugh, watching her holding our two meal boxes, balanced precariously on her large baby bump. She obviously realizes I'm amused, and she smiles and just shakes her head, "It's not funny, Ani."

"Didn't say it was, Babe."

"No, but you're _thinking_ it."

She's right. I _am_ thinking it, but I'd never say it out loud. Yeah, it's different seeing my lovely wife the size of a small hot air balloon almost, but she's _still_ the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Even more so carrying our future inside of her belly. And, this is what I opt to tell her now. "Babe, you are, without a doubt, the single _most_ beautiful woman on the planet, and your baby belly only makes you _more_ beautiful to me – not less. Don't ever think otherwise."

She sniffles suddenly, and I glance over at her to see tears sparkling in her eyes in the dim lighting. _Hormones._

"I mean it, Padmé. You always have been and you always will be the _most_ beautiful woman on the planet to me. No other woman could _ever_ hope to compare to you in my eyes." Not that I would ever even _think_ of looking elsewhere. I wouldn't, because I'm dead serious. My wife is _it_ for me. Has been from the moment I first saw her. That will _never_ change.

Smiling softly at her, I turn my attention back to the road and getting us back to the house as quickly as possible. I mean, yeah, the food smells awesome, and I admit my tummy's grumbling, too, but I'm still _so_ fucking tired from the long ass day I had yesterday traveling and from the like thirteen-hour time difference between Afghanistan and California. That kinda jet leg kicks some serious ass, lemme tell ya. Now, all I want to do is get to the house, eat as quickly as possible, and then snuggle back up in bed with my wife…oh, and our unborn babies. No way I can forget _them._ Speaking of them, they're probably hungry, too, which is _why_ we're out grabbing burgers at this time of night. So, better get back and feed the three of them. And, _fast._

 _Damn, 2 a.m. feedings are going to be hell with two of them. I can already tell,_ I think to myself with a resigned smirk.

In what seems like no time at all, we're pulling back into the driveway of the lake house. I park the SUV in the same spot, then quickly unbuckle and head around to Padmé's side to help her out of the car. I grab our food first, setting it on the roof of the vehicle, before helping her out of her seat. I steady her with my hands, make sure she's settled, then I reach in and grab our drinks, handing them to her while I close and lock the SUV, grab our food off the roof of the car, and then we're heading back for the house.

I didn't lock the door when I walked out, so we're able to open it immediately and head inside. She locks the door once she closes it, and we make for the kitchen table. I set the food down, while she grabs some napkins from the holder on the bar and gets the ketchup from the fridge. I pull back her chair for her, wait till she's seated, then take my chair at the end of the table, to her immediate left, and we dig in. Grinning, I grab my burger and sink my teeth in, taking a big bite, and damn, it's _delicious._ I admit food here at home does taste better. Way better, and I've missed it. Not that we don't get fed well on base. We do, but it still doesn't taste the same as authentic restaurant fare – or even a good homecooked meal like the feast we had earlier tonight. I watch as she upends the ketchup and squirts a huge glop of the condiment on the lid of her meal before she offers it to me, and then I do the same. Hey, what are fries without ketchup?

We eat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying sharing a meal together again, but after a few minutes, she smiles, and says, "So, Ani, I know you've probably not had time to ponder this since you got here yesterday, but I've been thinking about names the last few months. A lot actually, and I'm still stumped about a name for our daughter, but for our son, there's one name that I _really_ like. Honey, what do you think of the name Luke for our boy?" She bites her lip as she watches me for my reaction.

Luke, huh? I set my burger down and finish chewing and swallowing, then take a sip of my _Coke_ to wash it down. I repeat the name over and over in my head. _Luke. Luke Skywalker._ It's short but has a good ring to it. It sounds nice, and it goes well with Skywalker. I think I like it. So, I nod my head, and smile warmly at my obviously nervous Angel, "Sounds nice, Babe. I like it actually. It goes well with Skywalker. Good choice. Luke, it is…or _he_ is, I should say."

Her shoulders sag in obvious relief, and she lets out a pent up breath she'd been holding, waiting for my answer. Wow, she must have really been worried I wouldn't like the name for her to react like this. But, with our son's name now decided, we still have to name his twin sister. "Do you want their names to match, Angel? I mean, do you have any ideas at all for her?" I admit, _I've_ not given baby names even a passing thought, but then I didn't know we were pregnant either.

She shrugs, "Well, I'd like them both to have an 'L' name, yeah, but nothing I've come up with so far has sounded right to me." She sighs and eats a few fries after dipping them in ketchup.

I eat a few of my own fries, then ask, "Ok. Like what?"

Another shrug, "Well, names like Lori, Lara, Lily, Lyra," she pauses in rattling off her list of names to take a sip of her drink, and I admit I'm not keen on any of the ones she's said so far. They're nice names, of course, just not for _our_ daughter, no. I roll my wrist in a motion for her to continue, and after she swallows, she picks back up with her list, "Lisa, Lois, Lexis, Libby, Livvy, Liza, Leyla, Lucy, Lynn, Lulu, Luna, Luisa, Linda, Lydia…" She trails off with a sigh and looks at me rather woefully. "See what I mean? I want a name that will sound nice with Luke, but I've just not found one I really liked yet."

Yes, I can see what she means. Hmm…This could be tough, but _now_ isn't the time to give it too serious a thought. That pillow in our room is _screaming_ my name. I nod my head in understanding at our dilemma, though. "Yeah, I get it, and I agree. None of those sounds _right._ But, now's not the time to focus on it, Babe. I'm just too damn tired. Sorry. But, we've got some time to figure it out, and we _will_. Don't worry. So, let's just finish our food and go use the bathroom and brush our teeth and get back in bed. I need some more sleep. No offense."

Smiling in understanding, she nods in agreement, and we finish our food quickly, clean up the table and dispense with the trash, and then head back to bed. Being a gentleman (at least with my wife anyway), I allow her to use the bathroom and brush her teeth first while I wait outside in the hall. Once she's done and heads back to our room, it's my turn. I take care of my business first, wash my hands, brush my teeth quickly, and turn out the light before opening the door and heading back to our room.

Padmé's already in bed, wrapped around what looks like a body pillow, eyes already shut, heading back to slumber. I strip down to my boxers again, leaving the basically clean clothes in a pile on the floor, and I climb back in bed, noticing my wife's put on a short sleeved, maternity nightshirt that's soft and loose fitting. I edge up behind her back, slide one arm under the pillow, and drape my other arm over her hip, holding her close. Snuggling my face into her chestnut curls, which are still up in that high ponytail, I smile in contentment, my own eyes drifting closed.

 _Thump, thump…thump, thump_

 _"Goodnight to you again, Little Ones. Hope you enjoy Mama's snack,"_ I speak in the barest whisper to my unborn offspring. Almost as if they could hear me, another staccato set of _thumps_ smacks against my wife's distended belly before falling silent as well. Obviously, _all_ of us Skywalkers are good and tired after the long day we've had. Perfect.

Now, time to get back to sleep.

* * *

 _Tap, tap, tap, tap…_

I peel my eyes open…and realize I'm on my belly, staring at the bedroom wall. Grunting, I close my eyes, frowning. What the hell woke me up?

 _"Ani?"_

 _Tap, tap, tap, tap…_

 _"Come on! Time to get up, Son! Breakfast is ready!"_

It's my mother. I stretch languidly before flopping over on my back. Rolling my head to look at the other side of the bed…I'm both surprised – and yet not – to find my wife is already up apparently. Lifting my head, I glance at the digital clock on the dresser. It's well after nine in the morning. Yeah. Definitely time to get up. Jetlag is bad enough without sleeping the day away, which would only make it that much worse readjusting to California time. Rubbing across the top of my upper lip with my index finger, I call out, "Ok, Mom. I'm up. I'll be out in a bit."

 _"Ok, Sweetie."_

Throwing back the covers, I stand up and stretch, reaching my arms for the ceiling. Yawning, I roll out my shoulders before bending down to gather up the clothes I threw on for our burger run last night. Might as well put these on for the day. I grab a clean pair of boxers from the dresser drawer, grab my toiletry bag, and head for the bedroom door, opening it, and then heading into the bathroom. Locking the door, I quickly strip, use the facilities, then turn on the shower. Hopping in, I shower quickly, more to wake up than anything. Stepping out, I dry off quickly before wrapping the towel round my hips and stepping to the sink to shave and brush my teeth. With that done, I apply deodorant, get dressed, and brush out my short messy hair. I gather up my wet towel and washcloth, dump them in the hamper, grab my toiletry bag and my boxers I slept in and head back to the bedroom to deposit my boxers and my toiletries before I quickly make the bed, then grab my phone, and follow my nose out to the kitchen. Arriving in the large combined kitchen/eating area, I find my mother at the stove cooking what looks to be a large vegetable and cheese stuffed omelette. Jobal, Beru, and Sola are seated at the table, each nursing a cup of coffee, as well as my Angel, now dressed in a loose, soft blue, summer maternity dress, slowly sipping a mug of brewed tea. None of the men or the girls are in sight.

I approach the table, and lean over the back of my wife's chair and place a gentle kiss on her cheek, "Morning, my Angel." I reach down with my right hand and gently rub the side of her belly, surprised at not feeling the immediate _thumping_ in response that I've already grown used to. "Are the twins asleep?" I ask her, mildly concerned.

"Yes, they normally sleep in the mornings after breakfast, then wake up to 'play' like they're practicing for a diving competition off my spine around lunchtime. Trust me, I _appreciate_ their naps when they take them," my wife's tone is dryly amused.

Grinning, I sit down in the chair at the end of the table, "Duly noted…What's that old saying about sleeping babies, anyway?"

My sister-in-law pipes up, "Let sleeping babes lie! And, trust _me_ on this one, Brother Dear…It's no joke. When babies are sleeping, let them! It's the only time you'll have any peace and quiet until they start school!" Sola rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her coffee, as the rest of us burst out laughing.

At that moment, my mother brings over a plate laden with a large omelette, several slices of fresh cooked bacon, a piece of toast with grape jelly, and a piping hot cup of coffee with just cream and places this feast before me. I inhale deeply, a pleased expression on my face, "This smells fantastic!" I declare before picking up my knife and fork and digging in with relish. The ladies all smile indulgently at me, especially my wife and my mother. After several bites, I take a slurp of my coffee, and glance at Padmé, "Sweetheart, where's your coffee? I see you're drinking hot tea." My wife is a _serious_ coffee connoisseur, I admit. _Starbucks_ has always been one of her favorite places in the world for as long as I've known her. It _is_ where we first met, if you'll recall. So, to see her sipping tea instead of her requisite morning java is strange to say the least. I seriously doubt she's given up her _'coffee tooth,'_ as I call it.

She shrugs and smiles wanly, "Eh, I've had to give coffee up for now, Honey. I can't stand the smell of it anymore. It makes me hurl…every time. So, I've had to switch to chamomile tea. It's the easiest thing on my tummy right now." She takes another sip of her tea, and I mouth a silent _'Oh.'_ Our mothers told me last night she'd had severe nausea with her pregnancy…so bad it landed her in the hospital for a week early in her first trimester. I guess besides an increased appetite, burger runs in the middle of the night, and eighty-sixing the java, I need to know what else, if anything, has changed for my Angel, in terms of her diet.

After a few more bites of the omelette, I ask, "Is there anything else you can't tolerate any more?" I watch her carefully for her response.

"NO added salt!" Jobal quickly interjects before Padmé can say anything. "She can't have any extra salt right now because of her blood pressure and the swelling. Even though she tries to sneak it when she thinks no one's looking." My mother-in-law shoots a pointed look at her youngest daughter. Glancing back to my wife, I see an embarrassed flush creeping across her cheeks.

Busted.

"Oh, and besides her midnight burger runs, she's had the _weirdest_ craving for chilled jellied cranberry sauce covered with dried banana chips and drizzled in chocolate syrup, topped off with chopped walnuts and whipped cream. Don't ask any of us _why._ We try not to watch her when she eats it," Beru says, before sticking out her tongue and scrunching her face up in a look of pure revulsion. At our mothers' and Sola's murmured agreement to this, I can't help bursting out in a fit of laughter at their expressions of gastric horror. Oh man. Sounds like I've missed out on some…home entertainment the last six months.

Padmé just huffs and rolls her eyes at this exchange. Grinning, I take a bite of bacon then ask, "And, what about the nursery. _Please_ tell me you haven't completely decorated that yet. We'd decided long before we got pregnant that we'd do that together, Babe."

Padmé immediately shakes her head, "No, Honey. I… _We,"_ she motions around the table to include our family, "haven't even started on the nursery yet. I knew you'd want to help with all that. We didn't even have a baby shower yet or gotten any furniture either. I mean I wanted your input in getting the cribs, the high chairs, picking out the paint for the nursery. All that stuff. So, I told everyone we'd wait until you got home. But, speaking of that stuff, the plan today was to head out to find car seats for them."

A feeling of relief sweeps through me at my wife's reassurance. I'm glad she held off until I got home. Hopefully, we've got time…not a lot of time, true, but enough time to get at least the essentials nailed down and completed now that I'm home. A smile lights up my face, as I pick up my cup of coffee, "Wonderful! Sounds like a plan to me. Is everyone coming or what?" Glancing round the empty living room, I ask, "Where's everyone else anyway?"

Mom smiles, telling me, "Cliegg and Owen had some things to take care of at the ranch this morning and so Ruwee went along with them. Darred took the girls out to _IHOP_ for breakfast this morning to give us ladies some quiet time. They'll all be back later. But, it gives us time to go hit _Walmart_ and look for car seats while they're all out."

"Have you looked at _any_ cribs, Angel?" I ask, figuring she'd probably already done some looking online if nothing else. She's too organized to _not_ have looked already, at least some.

Just as I suspected, she nods, "Yes. I've been looking online, and I have a general idea of what I want, but I didn't want to make any decisions without your input, Honey." She shrugs.

Feeling pleased that she wants my input and was willing to wait till I got home, I nod and tell her, "Maybe we could head out today to _Solano Town Center_ in Fairfield and take a look at cribs and high chairs out there. They've got a _Sears, Macy's_ , and a _JCPenny_ over there. We could look around at what's available and compare prices and styles. Would you like that?" I take another big bite of my omelette and watch her answering smile spread across her beautiful pink lips.

"Oh, Ani! That'd be great! Yes, let's do that!"

"Good, we can head out for _Walmart_ and car seats first. Then head out to Fairfield to the mall for the afternoon. We can even grab some lunch while we're there." All of the ladies nod their heads in agreement, and I hurry to finish my breakfast so we can get going.

After I finish eating, I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth, then grab my wallet and phone from the nightstand by our bed, then head back out to the living area where our mothers and sisters are gathered. "Where's Padmé?" I ask, not seeing my wife.

"Bathroom. She has to pee quite frequently now," Sola explains. Ahhh…Understandable. If I had two babies jumping up and down or lying across the top of my bladder, I'm sure I'd have to pee quite frequently, too. After another minute, my lovely wife comes waddling into view, purse slung over her shoulder, flip-flops on her feet. She's wrapped her hair up in a loose bun on top of her head, and to me, she's never looked more beautiful than right now. Smiling, I walk over and take her hand, as she offers me the keys with her opposite hand, and we all file out of the house, heading for our cars. Apparently, I am driving my wife, Sola, and Beru in our SUV, and our mothers are taking Jobal's car. I unlock the SUV, and walk around to help Padmé climb up and buckle in, while our sisters climb in back. Once I'm in and buckled up, I wait for Jobal to pull out first, before following her.

Hopefully, this trip will be a success.

* * *

I swear, my head is swimming already. And, I can feel a headache forming on top of it.

Who knew there were so many damn choices to pick from…just in car seats! And, all the listed "options." Shit, it's like trying to figure out accessories on a new car package or something. And, these are just the ones in the store. While we're perusing all the display models, Sola and Beru are also checking out the online options – which expand the choice base that much further.

Apparently, newborns need to be secured in a rear-facing car seat, from what Sola, Jobal, and my mother are telling us. That narrows it down some. Thank God. We don't need one that detaches and clicks into a stroller, as we already have a double stroller (which is at our house in the nursery and thus I've not seen it yet). So, that narrows it down even more. Good. Progress.

But, Padmé and our mothers are discussing safety features, safety ratings, and color choices, while I'm also trying to remind them all of being price conscious. It's not that I don't want what's best for our babies, I do, but I'm also cognizant of the fact that we've still got double _everything_ to buy, and I'd like to get what they need…without having to worry about stealing from their college funds to do it, which we don't even have set up yet, by the way. Sigh. Round and round the discussion goes, and I now know _why_ it's women who do the shopping and men who just hand over the money. _This is ridiculous,_ I snort to myself, rolling my eyes behind my wife's and our mothers' backs. If they don't decide soon, our kids will be born before they even pick out car seats.

At long last, after what seems like forever, Padmé and I both agree on a couple of matching car seats, one in gray and pink for our daughter, one in light blue and gray for our son. They both convert into baby carriers with a built in handle, have excellent safety ratings, and they seem easy to install. Good. We grab the boxes and put them in the cart. Thinking that we're done, I'm about to tell them to follow me to the checkouts when they all start migrating toward the diapers and other baby essentials. Oh brother. Here we go.

Realizing there's no way out of this, I shake my head and follow along behind them as they start grabbing various items and adding them to our cart: Bibs, pacifiers, rattles, teething rings, a deluxe baby monitoring system, a _Diaper Genie_ plus several packs of refills, and a rather large mint green diaper bag with more pockets in it than my flight suit all end up in our cart.

 _This is where the fun begins,_ I can't help thinking to myself with a wry smirk. Shaking my head, I ask my wife, "Are we done yet?"

Ignoring the exasperated amusement in my tone, she nods her head, "Yeah. I think that's enough for now. Though, we _should_ start stockpiling diapers soon." Oh, I don't doubt that one damn bit.

We approach a checkout lane, and before I can say or do anything, our mothers attack the cart in a chorus of _"Oh, I'll buy that,"_ leaving me to stand gawking, my mouth hanging open, while Padmé, Sola, and Beru just grin. I turn to stare at Padmé in surprise, and she just laughs and shrugs, before Sola pipes up, "Hey, that's what grandmothers are for, right?"

I guess so.

So, each grandmother ended up buying one car seat plus an arm full of other goodies. Now, I'm left to wonder if this will all _fit_ in the back of our SUV. We load up our cart with the now full shopping bags plus the two car seat boxes and head out to our vehicles, first making a pit stop by the restroom for Padmé. I'm very glad to see our SUV has more than enough space in back to hold all our purchases. It's definitely nice and roomy, just like Padmé said it was. Next stop, back at the lake house to deposit this first round of purchases before heading out to the mall.

I'm not normally one who enjoys going to the mall, avoiding it as much as possible, but I have to admit, in this circumstance, there's really no getting around it. Helping Padmé back into her seat in the _Highlander_ though, I'm suddenly concerned that walking the entire mall might be too taxing for her. Especially as much as she has to use the restroom. Shaking off my concern for the moment, I climb back in the driver's seat, start up the engine, and follow Jobal back to the lake house. Of course, as soon as we get there, Padmé has to waddle off to relieve her bladder again, and while she does that, we unload everything else into the house, leaving it all piled up in the living room for now.

We're back on the road shortly, this time headed for the mall in Fairfield. We decided to stop and grab some grub at _Red Robin_ next door to _Best Buy_ , before heading into the mall itself. After again watching my wife wolf down a huge meal, complete with fried dill pickles for an appetizer, we head out into the mall, heading for _Macy's_ first. We head right for the baby section, and I'm immediately immersed in an area I'd always considered strictly a female's domain, but upon seeing the soft, enraptured look upon my wife's face as she gazes round at all the masses of baby booty before us, I am thrilled to note that she's positively _glowing,_ and I can't help the surge of love and masculine pride and pleasure that rushes through me as I watch her, knowing that it's because of _me,_ because of _my_ seed in her belly, that we're here.

A sales clerk soon descends upon us with a gleam in her eye once she takes note of my wife's burgeoning belly. No doubt, she's thinking dollar signs in her head and therefore plasters on her most charming smile as she kindly offers us her assistance. Padmé instantly takes charge, explaining our impending need for double _everything_ , and the woman's eyes light up even more. _Ka-ching._ She leads us right away to their baby furniture section, and kindly points out that they have a _huge_ sale going on right now. Since we do have twins on the way, she steers us toward what she calls convertible cribs, and with my background in engineering, this piques my interest right away…and it makes perfect sense. These cribs can convert into toddler beds when the twins reach that age, so it extends the life of each one until the children are at least maybe three or four. Now, that's what I call economic. Works for me.

She shows us several models by different brands, and they're all nice and seem well made. Our group huddles up, discussing the various options, and Padmé states she wants either a natural wood look or white for the nursery furniture, because she wants to go with a color scheme that is not strictly boy or girl themed, like a mint green or yellow or something along those lines. Eventually, we settle on a pair of white convertible cribs that have a five star rating but are marked down from a thousand dollars each to less than four hundred each. Whew. Yep, I'll take that sale, thank you very much. Next, we move on to mattresses, which apparently come separate. As if the cost of the cribs themselves wasn't enough, I guess. Again, we choose a set of mattresses that have a good safety and customer rating and will fit well in the cribs we've chosen. The beaming sales clerk must be practically giddy with her success as she rings up our purchases. She probably just scored a whole week's worth of sales off of just us today. Nice.

Still, my Angel seems pleased, and it was super nice of both our mother's (and Sola) to pitch in and help with the cost. I mean, we're not hurting for money, no, but at the same time, it's a lot of expenditures all at once for twins. And, we still have high chairs, bouncy chairs, a changing table, a dresser, and oh yeah, a glider rocking chair for Padmé, still left to buy. Not to mention who knows what all other manner of baby paraphernalia we'll need. Like clothes, the aforementioned diapers, baby wipes, and on and on it goes.

Before it can be suggested that we head out to explore the mall, Padmé begins to yawn and declares she needs another potty break. She heads off with Sola and Beru to find the restroom, and Jobal takes the time to remind me how tired Padmé gets and that she's been on her feet most of the day already and needs to get home and prop her feet up and take a nap or her feet will likely be so swollen by dinner this evening, she won't be able to walk. Thanking her for the reminder, when the three of them rejoin our group, I take Padmé's hand and announce that we're heading home right then for her to get some rest. She sputters and starts to protest, stating she wanted to get a _Cinnabon_ , but I hold firm.

"Sweetheart, you know how bad your feet swell if you're on them too much. We're going back to the lake house, and _you_ are going to lie down and take a nap before dinner. No buts." I give her a pointed look, and she gives in, sighing and nodding her head.

"But, my _Cinnabon_ , Ani…" Dammit, she looks so sad, and I feel the pull on my heartstrings.

I huff, about to give in, when Sola pipes up, "Sis, Beru and I can run over and pick up some _Cinnabon's_ and meet you back at the car. Anakin, drive around to _Dick's Sporting Goods_ and park out front there. _Cinnabon's_ is right by that, and we'll just walk out front there to meet you. Sound good?"

Yep. Sounds perfect, actually, and I tell her so. She and Beru nod and head off into the mall to get Padmé's baked treat. That problem solved, I grab Padmé's hand and follow our mothers back out across the mall, back out to our vehicles. Our mothers load up in Jobal's car, telling me they're going to hit the grocery store to get what they need to make spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread for dinner, and they'll see us back at the house. I nod and help Padmé into her seat, then climb in myself and head over to wait for Sola and Beru and the craved for cinnamon rolls. I admit, I'm pleased with our day's purchases, which seems to finally cement into reality the twins' impending birth in a way that just seeing my wife's swollen belly and feeling those kicks from inside her womb hadn't yet.

But, now, it's real. This is happening. We're about to become parents. Finally. Something I've longed for from the moment my Angel first knocked me over. Glancing over at my very pregnant wife, I can't help but smile in anticipation. Yeah, it might be rough, even hellish at times, dealing with two newborns at once, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

Or the woman I'm going to share it all with.

* * *

 **A/N:** My head almost hurts for him...hope you enjoyed!

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